Professor Ramsi Woodcock, currently suspended from teaching at the University of Kentucky School of Law, has filed a lawsuit aiming to block former U.S. District Judge Greg Van Tatenhove from serving as the law school's dean. Woodcock argues that appointing a judge rather than a tenured professor undermines the law faculty's ability to present their scholarship as the result of a peer-reviewed search for truth. He claims this appointment infringes on the faculty's collective right to associate around a shared message, despite no university restrictions on faculty speech or scholarship submissions related to the appointment.

Woodcock has requested that the federal court override the university's decision, bar Van Tatenhove from the deanship, and instead appoint the Faculty Executive Committee to the position of dean. However, the court held a hearing on Monday, July 20, and denied Woodcock's request for a temporary restraining order on three main grounds.

Woodcock also seeks expedited discovery and a preliminary injunction hearing before fall classes begin and the faculty hiring period, aiming for a hearing on or before August 24. The court has ordered expedited briefing on the motion to dismiss and anticipates holding a hearing or issuing a ruling promptly after August 14, when briefing closes.

The court noted that district courts have discretion to order expedited discovery when good cause is shown, but emphasized that Woodcock bears the burden of justifying his request for emergency judicial intervention. The university characterized Woodcock's claim as backward-looking, focusing on whether the university wrongly hired Van Tatenhove, which appears disconnected from his request for a forward-looking injunction.

While recent tradition favors academic deans, some argue that experienced legal professionals, including judges, can be suitable leaders for professional schools such as law.

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