Former KFC Yum! GM Files Suit

Ted Nicholson, former GM of the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the Kentucky State Fair Board, which operates the arena.

Nicholson claims he was fired as GM for statements he made to a consultant reviewing operations at the arena, and criticized fair board president Harold Workman in the process, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Last fall, Nicholson was interviewed by an employee of Venue Solutions Group and gave “honest and sincere” answers to questions, according to a lawsuit. Nicholson claims that led to Workman verbally berating Nicholson about the report.
Gov. Steve Beshear later admitted he considered removing Workman and several board members.

Nicholson was fired in February; Workman announced he will retire at the end of this year, according to the paper.

Nicholson claims in the suit Workman “neutered” him of authority and “handpicked” 38 of the 40 staff members at KFC Yum! Center – staffers who were generally friends and underqualified, the paper said.

The suit alleges Workman overstaffed events, overpaid some staffers and failed to act when Nicholson complained about booking money-losing events.

An attorney for the fair board told the Courier-Journal it is reviewing the lawsuit, which was filled in Jefferson Circuit Court.