FRANKFORT, Ky. – A former top academic leader with 30 years at Murray State University is suing the university for breach of contract, alleging he was stripped of his provost position and hit with an approximate 55% salary reduction.
Tim Todd, who served Murray State as provost and vice president of academic affairs from March 2020 to Oct. 31, filed the lawsuit against the university in Franklin Circuit Court last week.
Todd joined MSU as a faculty member in 1995 and has held multiple leadership roles over three decades, including assistant provost, associate provost and dean of the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business. Before being appointed provost, he twice filled the role on an interim basis during the 2015-16 and 2019-20 academic years. He stepped down as dean when he was tapped for the second interim appointment.
On Aug. 26, the university issued a press release stating that Todd would be stepping down from his position as provost and would return to his former position as a tenured faculty member, adding that a national search for Todd’s replacement would begin as soon as possible.
Paducah attorney David Kelly represents Todd in the matter. In the complaint filed Wednesday, Kelly asserted that Franklin Circuit Court is the proper venue because “the action is on a written contract for which sovereign immunity is waived.”
Court documents show that Todd executed his most recent employment contract with MSU on June 20, reappointing him as provost and vice president of academic affairs from July 1 through June 30, 2026, with a salary of $219,225. Kelly noted that, during the employment term, Todd was “contractually prohibited from resigning his position unless agreed to in writing by the President.”
The complaint alleges that, during an Aug. 20 meeting with MSU President Ron Patterson, Todd was informed that he would no longer be provost effective Nov. 1. Patterson further advised that Todd would be reassigned as a tenured professor in the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business, and his annual salary would be reduced to approximately $98,000.
According to Kelly, Todd performed his duties as provost and vice president of academic affairs in an exemplary manner and was fully compliant with all standards of conduct required of university personnel.
“No just cause existed to terminate him from his position or to reduce his salary,” Kelly wrote, adding, “At all times material herein, Dr. Todd remained willing and able to perform all of the administrative duties required of the position.”
The complaint concludes that the university’s actions, namely terminating Todd from his position without just cause and substantially reducing his salary, constituted a breach of contract, causing Todd to incur damages in the form of loss of salary as well as retirement benefits from Nov. 1 through June 2026, among other things.
The Franklin Circuit Court Clerk’s Office advised that summons were issued to Patterson and MSU General Counsel Rob Miller by certified mail on Nov. 25; however, the office has yet to receive proof of service. Once the defendants are served, they must file an answer within 20 days.
On Aug. 23, The Sentinel submitted an open records request (ORR) to MSU, asking for correspondence to and from Todd, Patterson and Board of Regents Chair Robbie Fitch related to Todd’s employment from Aug. 20-23. On Aug. 29, we received eight screenshots of a group chat between Fitch, Patterson, Board of Regents Vice Chair David Meinschein and former chair Leon Owens in response to that request.
The Sentinel submitted a second ORR concerning Todd on Sept. 2, this time asking for, among other things, all correspondence to and from Todd, Patterson, former President Robert “Bob” Jackson and all MSU Regents related to Todd’s employment, including but not limited to his performance as provost and vice president of academic affairs, going back to May 1.
On Sept. 8, we received Todd’s performance evaluation completed in June, which included only positive remarks; an email to Owens from Tony Brannon, retired MSU professor and former dean of the Hutson School of Agriculture; and screenshots of a text conversation between Fitch and Regent Thomas Waldrop, taken from Waldrop’s phone.
Notably, the four finalists for the provost position were announced last month and town halls for each candidate are scheduled this week, starting with Kimberly Paddock-O’Reilly, who is currently the vice president for academic affairs at Chadron State College, the university where Patterson served as president prior to becoming president at MSU.
All of the town halls will be held in Wrather Museum and start at 2 p.m.
Tuesday’s town hall will feature Laurie Couch, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Salisbury University in Maryland. The University of Cincinnati’s vice president for graduate education as well as dean of the university’s Graduate College, Rose Marie Ward, is scheduled for Wednesday. The final candidate is Minot State University Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Alaric Williams. His town hall is scheduled for Thursday.
Filings in civil lawsuits represent only one side’s version of events.
