(1) A person is guilty of harassing communications when, with intent to intimidate,
harass, annoy, or alarm another person, he or she:
(a) Communicates with a person, anonymously or otherwise, by telephone,
telegraph, mail, or any other form of electronic or written communication in a
manner which causes annoyance or alarm and serves no purpose of legitimate
communication;
(b) Makes a telephone call, whether or not conversation ensues, with no purpose
of legitimate communication; or
(c) Communicates, while enrolled as a student in a local school district, with or
about another school student, anonymously or otherwise, by telephone, the
Internet, telegraph, mail, or any other form of electronic or written
communication in a manner which a reasonable person under the
circumstances should know would cause the other student to suffer fear of
physical harm, intimidation, humiliation, or embarrassment and which serves
no purpose of legitimate communication.
(2) Harassing communications is a Class B misdemeanor.
Effective: July 15, 2016
History: Amended 2016 Ky. Acts ch. 99, sec. 1, effective July 15, 2016. -- Amended
2008 Ky. Acts ch. 125, sec. 5, effective July 15, 2008. -- Created 1974 Ky. Acts ch.
406, sec. 218, effective January 1, 1975.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
12
cases (
2 in the last 5 years), 1988–2025 · leading case:
Yates v. Commonwealth, 753 S.W.2d 874 (Ky. Ct. App. 1988).
Yates v. Commonwealth, 753 S.W.2d 874 (Ky. Ct. App. 1988).
· cites it 12× “This is an appeal from a judgment of the circuit court affirming a district court order and holding that KRS 525.080 is constitutional. Keim Yates pled guilty to the charges of making harassing communications in order to file this appeal to test the constitutionality of KRS 525.”
City of Montgomery v. Zgouvas, 953 So. 2d 434 (Ala. Crim. App. 2006).
· cites it 5× “We do not have to "add" the phrase "fighting words" to KRS 525.080 to make it constitutional. In fact due to the nature of the statute that phrase would be of no consequence.”
Kentucky Bar Ass'n v. Davis, 819 S.W.2d 317 (Ky. 1991).
“Davis, was convicted on June 29, 1990, by a jury in the Morgan District Court of harassing communications, a Class B misdemeanor under KRS 525.080. Movant received a thirty-day sentence of confinement and a $250.”
Doe v. Griffin (E.D. Ky. 2020).
· cites it 2× “070; (2) Harassing Communications under KRS 525.080; (3) Threatening under KRS 525.”
Blessing v. Chandrasekhar (E.D. Ky. 2020).
· cites it 2× “070; (2) Civil Harassing Communications under KRS 525.080; (3) Civil Threatening under KRS 525.”
Blessing v. Cable News Network, Inc. (E.D. Ky. 2020).
· cites it 2× “]” Ky. Rev. Stat. § 525.080(1)(a). Here, Sellers’ tweet was not directed at any one person, besides Sandmann, when he posted it on the internet.”
Blessing v. NBCUniversal Media, LLC (E.D. Ky. 2020).
· cites it 2× “]” Ky. Rev. Stat. § 525.080(1)(a). Here, Sellers’ tweet was not directed at any one person, besides Sandmann, when he posted it on the internet.”
Blessing v. WP Co. LLC (E.D. Ky. 2020).
· cites it 2× “]” Ky. Rev. Stat. § 525.080(1)(a). Here, Sellers’ tweet was not directed at any one person, besides Sandmann, when he posted it on the internet.”
Lovelace v. McCracken Cnty., Kentucky (W.D. Ky. 2023).
· cites it 2× “; see DN 24 at 4; DN 24-1 (pleading guilty to violation of KRS § 525.080). In any event, prosecutors enjoy absolute immunity from § 1983 liability when acting within their role in the judicial process—including charging decisions, conduct before a grand jury, and interaction…”
Finney v. Bank of Am., Nat'l Ass'n (W.D. Ky. 2025).
· cites it 2× “Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 525.080 (West). Anyone who engages in harassing communications may be liable for civil damages.”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 525.080(1)(a) — 4 cases
City of Montgomery v. Zgouvas, 953 So. 2d 434 (Ala. Crim. App. 2006).
“We do not have to "add" the phrase "fighting words" to KRS 525.080 to make it constitutional. In fact due to the nature of the statute that phrase would be of no consequence.”
Blessing v. Cable News Network, Inc. (E.D. Ky. 2020).
“]” Ky. Rev. Stat. § 525.080(1)(a). Here, Sellers’ tweet was not directed at any one person, besides Sandmann, when he posted it on the internet.”
Blessing v. NBCUniversal Media, LLC (E.D. Ky. 2020).
“]” Ky. Rev. Stat. § 525.080(1)(a). Here, Sellers’ tweet was not directed at any one person, besides Sandmann, when he posted it on the internet.”
Blessing v. WP Co. LLC (E.D. Ky. 2020).
“]” Ky. Rev. Stat. § 525.080(1)(a). Here, Sellers’ tweet was not directed at any one person, besides Sandmann, when he posted it on the internet.”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 525.080(l)(a) — 1 case
Yates v. Commonwealth, 753 S.W.2d 874 (Ky. Ct. App. 1988).
“This is an appeal from a judgment of the circuit court affirming a district court order and holding that KRS 525.080 is constitutional. Keim Yates pled guilty to the charges of making harassing communications in order to file this appeal to test the constitutionality of KRS 525.”
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