ESU general counsel steps down

In the wake of anti-tenure lobbying, the Emporia State University general counsel has agreed to leave the state payroll to become a legal consultant to the university.

May 15, 2025 - 3:21 PM

Emporia State University general counsel Steve Lovett, who sought to undermine faculty tenure rights at Kansas public universities, will leave the state’s payroll to become a contract consultant to ESU President Ken Hush. Lovett’s controversial bill to erase the property rights inherent in faculty tenure didn’t gain traction during the 2025 session of the Kansas Legislature. Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — The Emporia State University general counsel who championed a bill introduced in the Kansas Legislature to abolish property rights inherent in university tenure agreed to leave the state payroll to become a legal consultant to the university.

ESU President Ken Hush said in a campus message that he looked forward to working with Steve Lovett after transitioning to a new role as “third-party legal consultant for the university.” Lovett will be counted on for legal, strategic and leadership services, Hush said.

“We continuously seek opportunities to be…

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