The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a decision Monday in *Miranda Stovall v. Jefferson County Board of Education*, marking the conclusion of a federal appeal involving Kentucky's largest school district and major testing contractor Pearson VUE.
The case, designated for publication under Sixth Circuit rules, suggests the court views the decision as having precedential value for future litigation. Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton and Circuit Judges Danny Boggs and Stephanie Bloomekatz heard oral arguments on Dec. 11, 2025, before issuing their ruling on Jan. 14, 2026.
Miranda Stovall brought the original lawsuit against Jefferson County Public Schools, which operates under the Jefferson County Board of Education. The defendants include Superintendent Brian Yearwood and Assistant General Counsel Amanda Herzog, both sued in their official capacities, along with NCS Pearson Inc., the Minnesota corporation that operates under the trade name Pearson VUE.
The appeal stems from a ruling by District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky at Louisville. The original case was filed in 2024 and assigned case number 3:24-cv-00336.
Jefferson County Public Schools serves approximately 100,000 students across Louisville and surrounding areas, making it one of the largest school districts in Kentucky. The involvement of Pearson VUE, a major educational testing and assessment company, suggests the case may relate to standardized testing practices or educational assessment procedures.
Stovall was represented by attorneys from the Southeastern Legal Foundation, including Benjamin I.B. Isgur and Braden H. Boucek from the organization's Roswell, Georgia office, along with Christopher D. Wiest from Covington, Kentucky. The Southeastern Legal Foundation is a conservative legal advocacy organization that frequently litigates constitutional and civil rights cases.
Pearson VUE retained representation from Frost Brown Todd LLP, a prominent regional law firm. The company's legal team included Jason P. Renzelmann, who argued the case, along with Cory J. Skolnick, Samuel W. Wardle, and J. Austin Hatfield from the firm's Louisville office.
The school district defendants were represented by Sean G. Williamson from Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP, also based in Louisville. The case attracted experienced counsel from multiple established regional firms, indicating the significance of the underlying legal issues.
While the specific claims and legal theories in the case are not detailed in the available court documents, the involvement of both school district officials and a major testing company suggests potential disputes over educational assessment practices, student rights, or procedural issues related to standardized testing.
The Sixth Circuit's decision to recommend the case for publication indicates the court believes the ruling establishes important legal precedent. Published opinions carry greater precedential weight and can be cited in future cases, unlike unpublished decisions that have limited precedential value.
The case number 25-5357 indicates it was among the appeals filed with the Sixth Circuit in 2025. The court's relatively quick turnaround from oral arguments to decision suggests the legal issues may have been well-developed in the briefing or involved established legal principles.
Jefferson County Public Schools has faced various legal challenges in recent years related to student discipline policies, special education services, and other educational practices. The district serves a diverse student population across urban, suburban, and rural areas of Jefferson County.
Pearson VUE operates educational testing and assessment services nationwide, providing standardized testing administration and related services to school districts, state education departments, and other educational institutions. The company handles millions of test administrations annually across various educational levels.
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over federal cases from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. The court frequently addresses education law issues, including constitutional challenges to school policies and disputes between parents and school districts.
The timing of the decision, issued early in 2026, means the ruling will likely influence education law interpretation throughout the circuit's four-state jurisdiction. Schools districts and testing companies may need to review their practices in light of whatever legal standards the court established.
The case reflects ongoing tensions in American education over testing practices, student rights, and the role of private companies in public education. As school districts increasingly rely on third-party vendors for testing and assessment services, legal disputes over these relationships may become more common.
The published status of the opinion ensures the decision will be available for citation and analysis by other courts, legal practitioners, and education policy experts. The ruling may influence how similar disputes are resolved in federal courts within the Sixth Circuit's jurisdiction and potentially in other federal circuits addressing comparable issues.