LEXINGTON, Ky. — A new partnership with a Lexington private school and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department will start up next school year. 

What You Need To Know

  • LCA has announced a new partnership with Fayette county Sheriff’s Department

  • Two Deputies will work full time at LCA as SRO

  • The two Deputies will start their new positions in Aug. 2022

  • SRO’s responsibilities will be to ensure safety and educate staff and students about safety plans

Two deputies will now be at each location of Lexington Christian Academy to ensure safety in schools. 

For 13 years, Anthony Palmer has served as a deputy for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, and next school year he will be a full time School Resource Officer (SRO) at Lexington Christian Academy. 

“Walking in these halls is going to be an amazing opportunity. I stated earlier that you know our motto in law enforcement is to protect and serve, but sometimes I think we get caught up on the protection part and we forget about the service part,” Palmer said.

A passion, Palmer says, came from serving during his time as a chaplain. 

“That’s going to be an amazing opportunity for me for those students not only to see me as a police officer, but as one who’s also a believer,” Palmer said.

Fayette County Sheriff Kathy Witt says two deputies will serve as full time School Resource Officers on both the Immanuel Baptist and Rose campuses. 

Palmer’s primary role will be to protect the staff and students, but also to educate and develop safety plans.

“The students that go here are no different than the students in Fayette County public school. They experienced the same thing. What attacks kids in Fayette County Public Schools attacks kids in private schools,” Witt said.

Witt says this new partnership will be a way to create positive relationships between deputies and young students. 

“It’s just relationship building and when we can strengthen those relationships, when we can make families stronger, when we can get families resources that they need that they don’t know even exist. Lexington becomes better,” Witt said.

And with his love for serving, Palmer says he is excited to take on his new role.

“I’m here to have good days with you. If you have a bad day, I want to travel through that bad day with you,” Palmer said.

Palmer will use both his skills as a deputy and chaplain during his time at the school, working with students anywhere from PK to 12th grade.

Between Lexington Christian Academy’s two locations, there are roughly 1,300 students, and the two deputies will take their full-time positions starting in August.  

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