EASTERN, Ky. — One day after the Floyd County Board of Education sparked backlash by selecting Tonya Horne-Williams to be its next superintendent, the district has provided the media with a letter from her attorney responding to the criticism.

The controversy surrounded Horne-Williams’ alleged involvement in what the Kentucky Department of Education called a scandal involving cheating on state standardized tests at Betsy Layne Elementary in 2019. At that time, she worked in the district’s central office as a staff supervisor.

In 2021, she agreed to not work in any Kentucky public school for three years, backdated to 2019, to resolve the allegations against her. She admitted to no wrongdoing in the settlement.

The letter, from attorney Alicia Sneed, was provided to the board Dec. 17 to clarify Horne-Williams’ position on the scandal and her involvement. In short, Sneed continues to maintain Horne-Williams’ innocence and goes further to state that she believes that no cheating took place.

In particular, Sneed says Horne-Williams was not in a position to influence test procedures, was never interviewed by investigators, and was never made aware of the allegations against her until the Kentucky Department of Education issued its report and a press release to the media.

“[One] sentiment I heard during my hearing preparation was that educators were demoralized that the district did not fight back against the KDE findings and just let all the students’ hard work be sullied by allegations that educators cheated,” Sneed wrote.

Sneed represented Horne-Williams through the investigation. She says she was confident that a hearing would result in her exoneration, she chose to settle to avoid months of hearings and investigations, as well as the mental, physical and financial toll they would take.

Horne-Williams is expected to assume the office of superintendent on Jan. 31.

A full copy of the letter is printed below: