From the Kentucky Democratic Party: New Report: Bevin Admin Trying to Rip Money Away from Harlan County Public Schools to Pay Blackjewel Parent Company

Harlan County Schools Superintendent: “Don’t give the money to them while they still owe us money.” 

From the Kentucky Democratic Party

Frankfort, KY— A new report from the Lexington Herald-Leader is detailing how the Matt Bevin administration is trying to withhold vital resources from the Harlan County school system to pay Revelation Energy, which is Blackjewel’s parent company. 

It’s incredibly alarming that the Bevin administration is trying to take away money from the local public schools because “Revelation and sister companies owe more than $300,000 in delinquent property taxes in Harlan County” and Revelation has still not paid the Blackjewel coal miners what they are owed. 

The Bevin administration is asking the Harlan County schools to hand over “enough money to pay two teachers,” according to the Herald-Leader. 

Harlan County Schools Superintendent Brent Roark told the Lexington Herald-Leader, “Don’t give the money to them while they still owe us money.” 

A Harlan County school finance director Gary Hensley, added: “This is wrong.” 

“The Matt Bevin administration is trying to shake down the local public schools to pay the same company that left the Blackjewel coal miners behind and without pay,” said Marisa McNee spokesperson for the Kentucky Democratic Party. “After the Bevin administration has already failed to secure the bond that could have been used to pay the coal miners, this is a punch in the gut to the people of Harlan County. The closure of Blackjewel has been devastating — and it’s alarming that the way the Bevin administration has handled this entire situation has been nothing but a complete and total failure.”