Kentucky State University students, alumni, and prospective students filed suit seeking to block a new state law that assigns the HBCU a polytechnic role while increasing state control over programming and spending during a financial exigency period. Plaintiffs also are pursuing a preliminary injunction to stop program cuts and restructuring that they say would follow under the law. The complaint argues the state has long underfunded the university in violation of federal land-grant equity and desegregation requirements and civil rights law. It also cites prior federal notice, including a 2023 letter from former Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. A key point raised in court is whether the level of state oversight under the statute conflicts with accreditation requirements for the institution, setting up an immediate test of how states can steer mission decisions for public HBCUs.