A video of a man supposedly describing a car purchase made by Letcher County Public Schools is making the rounds on conservative Kentucky Twitter. The man describes what he says is a recent purchase by the district’s board of education — two Lincoln Navigators replete with heated seats and massagers. He finishes by saying that the school district is in need of donations for school supplies.
The video was retweeted by GOP Sen. Lindsey Tichenor of Smithfield, writing on X, “This is not satire.” But the video's creator told Kentucky Public Radio it is, in fact, satire.
Tichenor used the video as a reason to support Amendment 2, a constitutional amendment that would allow the legislature to allocate public funds toward education outside of public schools.
“Competition will bring accountability and an end to wasteful spending because they hold the monopoly on education,” Tichenor said in a reply on her tweet.
The man in the video is not a salesman in Letcher — he’s located in Pike County. Joshua Harvey, who goes by the Tiktok handle @joshtakescareofu, told Kentucky Public Radio the video he posted was meant to be a joke based on a recent controversy over a different car purchase from the district.
“The content of the video is erroneous,” Letcher County Public Schools Superintendent Denise Yonts confirmed on Monday. “There is no truth in this video, we did not purchase two vehicles from him.”
When reached by Kentucky Public Radio, Tichenor said she was not aware the video was satirical, but she said she believes there is some evidence that public schools are given to “wasteful spending.”
As of publication at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tichenor’s post is still up.
The constitutional amendment that Tichenor is advocating for is a highly partisan issue in Kentucky — with Democrats and most public school leaders coming out in opposition while “school choice” advocates and many Republican legislators say it's the solution to an ailing education system.
Many supporters of the amendment have accused Kentucky school districts of not putting students first, instead prioritizing teacher and administrator salaries. Opponents argue that passing the amendment would open the door to drain money from public schools into private institutions, which they say would not be accountable to voters.
The district had purchased a Chevrolet Suburban for $67,000 to transport “small groups that travel for competitive events,” according to WXKQ-FM. In an interview with the local radio station, Yonts said the 9-passenger vehicle was the best option for small groups due to insurance issues and state laws.
The purchase did create some frustration within the community, said Harvey, a Pikeville-based vehicle advisor, and his video was meant to be a commentary on that.
The sticker price for a 2024 Lincoln Navigator starts at more than $83,000, not including the luxury additions referenced in the satirical video.
The video was also retweeted by T.J. Roberts, a Republican nominee for state representative, who said, “This is why we need school choice,” claiming that the cars cost the district “at least $250,000,” apparently based on the video’s description. Roberts deleted the post after this story was published.
"I shared a satirical video about a government purchasing an outrageously expensive vehicle, not realizing this was just satire emerging from the aftermath of that same government buying a different outrageously expensive vehicle when much more taxpayer-friendly alternatives existed," Roberts said in a statement. "Upon learning this was satire, I deleted my tweet, but I stand by my belief that governments must be more frugal and focus on the essentials of a prosperous society.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
State government and politics reporting is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
