RENDERED: AUGUST 23, 2024; 10:00 A.M.

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED

Commonwealth of Kentucky

Court of Appeals

NO. 2023-CA-1010-MR

NICOLE EVERSOLE APPELLANT

APPEAL FROM BOONE CIRCUIT COURT

v. HONORABLE JAMES SCHRAND, JUDGE

ACTION NO. 23-CI-00063

COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY,

CABINET FOR HEALTH AND 

FAMILY SERVICES APPELLEE

OPINION

REVERSING AND REMANDING

**   **  **

BEFORE: ECKERLE, A. JONES, AND TAYLOR, JUDGES.

ECKERLE, JUDGE: Appellant, Nicole Eversole (“Eversole”) appeals an order 

dismissing her whistleblower allegation for failure to state a claim upon which 

relief may be granted. We hold that Eversole has sufficiently pled allegations to 
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survive a motion to dismiss. Hence, we reverse and remand for additional 

proceedings.

BACKGROUND

Eversole worked as a social worker with the Cabinet for Health and 

Family Services (“Cabinet”) in Gallatin County, Kentucky, in the Cabinet’s 

Northern Bluegrass Region. She had served the Cabinet for approximately 13 

years and was “chief” in Gallatin County. Eversole claimed that she had been 

awarded exemplary performance reviews for many years. 

Eversole lived with a man (“Father”), who had an active case with the 

Cabinet involving his daughter with another woman. As a part of his household, 

Eversole and her children were considered part of Father’s case, and Eversole’s 

children’s information was part of the case as well. Eversole claimed that Father 

was informed “over the 4th of July weekend” in 2022 that he had lost custody of 

his daughter and that a removal hearing had been scheduled. In response, Father 

asked Eversole to access his confidential case in the Cabinet’s system with his 

permission. She complied, found the date, time, and location of the next court 

date, which was in Bracken District Court in the emergency Dependency, Neglect, 

and Abuse case, the very next day. She passed this information, as well as the 

name of the social worker, along to Father. Believing that she had unearthed 

violations of Father’s rights, Eversole decided to testify at the removal hearing on
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July 5, 2022, regarding alleged failures of the Cabinet to follow the law. At that 

hearing, she testified that her actions were consistent with Cabinet procedures. 

Eversole testified that the Cabinet violated Father’s constitutional 

rights by failing to notify him that his child had reportedly been exposed to a 

pedophile living in the home with Father’s estranged, drug-addicted wife. 

Eversole also averred that the Cabinet filed other petitions against Father, in May 

and June of 2022, causing him to lose temporary custody of his child. Following 

Eversole’s July 5, 2022, testimony, the Trial Court restored Father’s custodial 

rights and struck him as the alleged perpetrator of any abuse or neglect. 

Eversole claims that the Cabinet’s Regional Administrator for 

Bracken County subsequently complained about Eversole’s testimony. At a

meeting to address those concerns, Eversole claims she submitted numerous, 

alleged violations committed by Bracken County Cabinet employees, including 

violations of state laws and regulations, fraud and abuses of power, and violations 

of Father’s constitutional rights. The Cabinet’s management investigated 

Eversole’s access to Father’s file in the Cabinet computer system and informed 

Eversole that the Cabinet would be giving her a Major Disciplinary Action. 

Eversole was then suspended without pay for three days for the stated reason of 

accessing Father’s file via the computer, and she was ordered to undergo necessary 

training. 
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Eversole then filed a Complaint in Boone Circuit Court alleging a 

cause of action under the Kentucky Whistleblower Act, Kentucky Revised Statutes 

(“KRS”) Chapter 61 (the “Whistleblower Act”). Her Complaint raised a single 

count – reprisal for making a protected report. Eversole complained that all of the 

Cabinet’s actions after her testimony were retaliatory and thus violated KRS 

61.102. 

In response, the Cabinet filed a motion to dismiss under Kentucky 

Rule of Civil Procedure (“CR”) 12.02(f), alleging that the Complaint failed to state 

a claim upon which relief may be granted because the facts as alleged did not

allege a violation of the Whistleblower Act. Specifically, the Cabinet argued that it 

had followed all statutes and regulations, and Eversole’s allegation is merely a 

disagreement with the statutory and regulatory scheme, which is not a cognizable 

cause of action under the Whistleblower Act. The Cabinet also argued that none of 

the allegations concerned private information; thus, Eversole’s disclosure was not 

covered by the Whistleblower Act. 

The Trial Court agreed with the Cabinet and dismissed the case. 

Eversole filed a motion to alter, amend, or vacate, which the Trial Court also

denied. Eversole then timely appealed.
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ANALYSIS

On appeal, Eversole claims that the Trial Court erred by granting the 

motion to dismiss. “A motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which 

relief may be granted ‘admits as true the material facts of the complaint.’” Fox v. 

Grayson, 317 S.W.3d 1, 7 (Ky. 2010) (quoting Upchurch v. Clinton County, 330 

S.W.2d 428, 429-30 (Ky. 1959)). “The court should not grant the motion unless it 

appears the pleading party would not be entitled to relief under any set of facts 

which could be proved in support of h[er] claim.” Pari-Mutuel Clerks’ Union of 

Kentucky, Local 541, SEIU, AFL-CIO v. Kentucky Jockey Club, 551 S.W.2d 801, 

803 (Ky. 1977) (citing Clay, Ky. Prac., 3rd Ed., Civil Rule 12.02, Comment 9, 

n.17). No factual determinations are made by the Trial Court at this stage. James 

v. Wilson, 95 S.W.3d 875, 884 (Ky. App. 2002). “[T]he court must ask if the facts 

alleged in the complaint can be proved, would the plaintiff be entitled to relief?” 

Id. Because the issue is a pure question of law, our appellate review of the Trial 

Court’s order is de novo. Fox, 317 S.W.3d at 7.

KRS 61.102(1) prohibits covered employers from reprisal against 

covered employees who in good faith disclose “any facts or information relative to 

an actual or suspected violation of any law, statute, [or] . . . administrative 

regulation[.]” This statute requires an employee to establish four elements to 

sustain her cause:
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(1) the employer is an officer of the state;

(2) the employee is employed by the state;

(3) the employee made or attempted to make a good 

faith report or disclosure of a suspected violation 

of state or local law to an appropriate body or 

authority; and

(4) the employer took action or threatened to take 

action to discourage the employee from making 

such a disclosure or to punish the employee for 

making such a disclosure.

Moss v. Kentucky State University, 465 S.W.3d 457, 459-60 (Ky. App. 2014) 

(quoting Davidson v. Commonwealth of Kentucky, Dep’t of Military Affairs, 152 

S.W.3d 247, 251 (Ky. App. 2004)). 

Here, the Cabinet argues that Eversole does not meet the third prong 

of this test. Additionally, the Cabinet claims that Eversole’s Complaint is based on 

publicly-available information, which removes her allegations from the 

Whistleblower Act’s protections. To support its arguments, the Cabinet points to 

Davidson v. Commonwealth, Dep’t of Military Affairs, 152 S.W.3d 247 (Ky. App. 

2004) (holding that no whistleblower claim was viable where the report or 

disclosure only concerned information already known); and Helbig v. City of 

Bowling Green, 371 S.W.3d 740 (Ky. App. 2011) (holding that no whistleblower 

claim was viable where the report or disclosure concerned an allegedly illegal 

policy and a statute, both of which were already publicly-available information). 
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Regarding the alleged violations, the Cabinet claims that it followed 

all requisite notice requirements when instituting the temporary removal 

proceedings. The Cabinet argues that none of the applicable statutes and 

regulations required it to notify Father, whom it deems an absent parent, about the 

emergency custody order or temporary removal hearing. See KRS 620.060-

620.080. The Cabinet specifically states:

The only law that places a burden on [the Cabinet] to 

notify an absent parent is 922 KAR[1] 1:140 Section 3(3), 

which requires [the Cabinet] to perform an absent parent 

search within 30 days of the child entering custody of the 

cabinet.

Appellee’s Brief at 5. Moreover, the Cabinet avers that the hearing was an 

emergency due to the alleged behavior of the mother of the child, which required 

immediate removal from her custody regardless of the status of the non-custodial 

father.

Eversole responds that, at this early dismissal stage where the Cabinet 

has not yet filed an Answer, the Trial Court did not afford her Complaint proper 

deference and construction. Eversole points to her allegations that the Cabinet 

denied Father’s constitutional rights, violated laws and regulations, and committed 

fraud and abuses of power. Eversole cites KRS 600.010, KRS 620.020(1), KRS 

1 Kentucky Administrative Regulations.
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620.070, CR 4.01-4.05, and the Kentucky Family Court Rules of Practice and 

Procedure (“FCRPP”) 17, as potential sources of her due process claim, noting that 

all of these statutes and rules require protections, including some form of notice to

parents. Eversole notes that the petitions filed in Father’s child’s case never listed 

an address for Father, even though he was having regular contact and visitation 

with his child. The Cabinet seemingly agrees that Father was never noticed about 

any of the proceedings.

We have reviewed the regulations, statutes, and rules cited by both 

parties, and we hold that Eversole’s Complaint does sufficiently allege at least a 

suspected violation of Father’s due process right to be notified. And we are further 

convinced that it was premature to grant CR 12.02(f) relief at this juncture because 

it would appear the Cabinet failed to comply with the Bracken District Court 

Rules, which neither party cites, that requires:

502. Petitions

Any petition filed with this Court shall comply with the 

following conditions:

. . . 

B. Full information concerning the child’s parents and 

their address(es). The petitioner shall make diligent 

efforts to locate the child’s parents, including but not 

limited to initiating contact with the Child Support 

Division of the appropriate County Attorney’s Office.
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503. The Effects of Service on Only One 

Parent/Persons Exercising Custodial Control or 

Supervision

The judge may permit the Temporary Removal 

Hearing or the adjudicatory hearing to go forward when 

the non-custodial parent has not been served in 

accordance with FCRPP 18(1)[2]if it is established on the 

record that petitioner has made diligent efforts to serve 

all other parties, including initiating contact with the 

Child Support Division of the County Attorney’s Office, 

in an attempt to locate any absent parent. The petitioner 

shall make continuing diligent efforts after the hearing to 

locate and notify all persons who were not served.

Pursuant to at least this local rule, it would appear that if the 

allegations in Eversole’s Complaint are considered true, as required at this early 

stage of the litigation, then Eversole has sufficiently pled a cause of action to 

survive CR 12.02(f) dismissal. See Kentucky Supreme Court Rule 1.040(3)(a) 

2 That Rule requires:

(1) Any request for an emergency custody order in a dependency, 

neglect or abuse case shall be in writing and shall be accompanied 

by an affidavit for emergency custody order which contains the 

contents of the official AOC form, AOC-DNA-2.1 (Affidavit for 

Emergency Custody Order), and which alleges dependency, or 

abuse or neglect. The affidavit shall be presented to the judge with 

any other documentation presented at the time of the filing of the 

request. The official AOC form may be utilized for compliance 

with this rule.

The AOC-DNA-2.1 Emergency custody Order Affidavit requires the affiant to list 

the juvenile’s legal mother and legal father separately, including listing their 

addresses, e-mails, phone numbers, social security numbers, dates of birth, names 

of others living in their homes, and indications of whether they are legal 

custodians or not. 
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(local rules are of “binding effect” once in writing, approved by the Chief Justice, 

and filed with the Supreme Court Clerk). 

“The purpose of the Kentucky Whistleblower Act ‘is to protect 

employees who possess knowledge of wrongdoing that is concealed or not publicly 

known, and who step forward to help uncover and disclose that information.’” 

Administrative Office of Courts v. Miller, 468 S.W.3d 323, 330 (Ky. 2015) 

(quoting Workforce Development Cabinet v. Gaines, 276 S.W.3d 789, 792 (Ky. 

2008)). Here, the material facts as pled in Eversole’s Complaint are that Eversole 

discovered allegedly concealed, confidential, and not-publicly-known wrongdoing 

by the Cabinet as it relates to alleged contravention of Father’s constitutional 

rights; violations of local and state rules, laws, and regulations; as well as fraud 

and abuses of power; all pertaining to the Cabinet’s alleged failure to notify Father 

of the emergency or temporary proceedings. Eversole’s Complaint specifically 

and materially alleges that the Cabinet filed multiple petitions regarding Father’s 

child and, despite Father having regular contact and parenting time with his child 

prior to the filing of the petitions, the Cabinet made “no attempts . . . to inform him 

of the actions or the circumstances regarding his child.” Furthermore, the 

Complaint alleges that Father was not notified of the date, time, or location of the 

temporary removal hearing. At minimum, it would appear facially that Eversole 

pled a violation of Father’s due process rights under the Bracken District Court 
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Rules. Gaines v. Nichols, No. 2011-CA-000413-MR, 2011 WL 6260365 (Ky. 

App. Dec. 16, 2011) (finding due process violation when Jefferson Circuit Court 

Rule 401 was not followed). 

Regarding the Cabinet’s other argument, that Eversole’s allegation 

concerns only public information, we likewise hold that the Cabinet’s summary 

statement does not support granting CR 12.02(f) relief. Eversole’s allegation is not 

just a disagreement with statutes and regulations. Her claim is that in a 

confidential – not public – case, the Cabinet’s employees violated Father’s due 

process rights by, at minimum, failing to include his known address on the 

petitions filed in Father’s child’s case and failing to notify Father about the 

emergency or temporary proceedings, some of which involved the abuse of his 

child while not in his custody. Eversole’s whistleblower claim stems from the 

reprisal she directly suffered from disclosing these alleged violations – violations 

she only discovered by reviewing confidential information in a confidential case

(albeit by allegedly improper access).

3

 Logically, this case cannot be both 

confidential and public. But, more important, Eversole’s claim is that the Cabinet 

reprimanded her for testifying about her disclosure of confidential information to 

3 Whether Eversole was in fact disciplined for unauthorized access of the Cabinet’s computer 

system or for blowing the whistle on the Cabinet’s improper conduct is not before this Court, and 

any factual dispute is not the proper subject of a motion for dismissal under the law.
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Father because the Cabinet had not given Father the non-public information. Had 

the information been public, Father would not have needed Eversole to access the 

confidential information. Thus, the facts as pled are sufficient to survive a motion 

under CR 12.02(f). Some discovery is warranted here.

Furthermore, Helbig and Davidson’s prohibition against 

whistleblower claims that allege only publicly-known allegations of wrongdoing is 

inapplicable here because the allegations sub judice relate to concealed and not 

publicly-available information in confidential proceedings. See also Miller, 468 

S.W.3d at 331 (“[W]e hold as a matter of law that Miller’s whistleblower claim 

fails for at least the lack of disclosure of concealed or non-public information.”). 

We reiterate that the bar is high for a Trial Court to grant a defensive 

motion for relief under CR 12.02(f). The Trial Court must:

consider as true the material facts alleged in the 

complaint and grant that motion only if satisfied that the 

plaintiff would not be entitled to relief under any set of 

facts that could be proved in support of the claim.

Barnett v. Central Kentucky Hauling, LLC, 617 S.W.3d 339, 341 (Ky. 2021). 

Under the CR 12.02(f) standards, Eversole’s Complaint sufficiently alleges 

material facts under which she may be entitled to relief. Barnett, supra. We 

caution, though, that our decision is solely limited to whether sufficient material 

facts were pled to survive dismissal, not whether Eversole’s claim is ultimately 

meritorious or can even survive summary judgment, which is a different standard. 
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Thus, on remand our Opinion should not be construed as affording any merit or

weight to either side on the substantive claim.

CONCLUSION

Eversole’s Complaint on its face sufficiently pleads material facts 

which, if proven, may lead to an actionable whistleblower claim. Accordingly, the 

Trial Court erred by granting the Cabinet’s CR 12.02(f) motion to dismiss at the 

early stage of the litigation before any discovery. The dismissal is reversed, and 

the case is remanded to the Trial Court for additional proceedings.

ALL CONCUR. 

BRIEF FOR APPELLANT:

Kelly Sensel Wiley

Covington, Kentucky

BRIEF FOR APPELLEE:

Blake A. Vogt

Lucas Roberts

Frankfort, Kentucky