Dallas Fort Worth Nonprofit Business Journal

Tag: Tarrant County College

  • Lawsuit from former TCC employee moves forward after judge dismisses parts of case

    by Jacob Sanchez, Fort Worth Report
    July 13, 2023

    A lawsuit against Tarrant County College remains in a federal court after a judge dismissed a claim from a former employee and denied a motion from the higher education institution.

    U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle dismissed a breach-of-contract claim from Kristen Bennett, the college’s former executive vice president of advancement, following a request from TCC lawyers to dismiss the case, according to court documents. However, Boyle, of the Northern District of Texas, allowed Bennett’s retaliation claim to move forward.

    “What remains before the court is the question of whether they unlawfully retaliated against her,” Bennett’s attorney, Frank Hill, told the Fort Worth Report.

    Bennett filed her lawsuit against the college in February 2022. She alleged then-Chancellor Eugene Giovannini retaliated against her for disciplining an employee with whom the college leader was having an affair.

    On July 12, TCC filed a motion for the rest of the case to move forward without a full trial, according to court records. 

    TCC did not immediately respond to a Fort Worth Report request to comment.

    In court documents, TCC stated Bennett’s retaliation claim does not meet standards established in federal law.

    The college does not allow employees to rescind their resignations, according to a motion from TCC. Bennett resigned after months of meeting with Giovannini, but backtracked. TCC ultimately placed her on administrative leave, and Bennett officially left her position in early 2022.

    TCC lawyers stated the college would have terminated Bennett because she reportedly did not file an employee’s claim of sexual harassment and for sharing an unverified criminal background report about a worker with people who reported to her, according to court documents.

    Hill plans to file a brief pushing back against TCC’s argument in its request for summary judgment, he said.

    Giovannini resigned as TCC chancellor in June 2022 after the board of trustees started the process to terminate him. Elva LaBlanc replaced him as the college’s new leader.

    Jacob Sanchez is an enterprise journalist for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

    This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

  • Tarrant County College appoints interim chancellor

    The Tarrant County College District Board of Trustees has appointed an Interim Chancellor. Dr. Elva LeBlanc will serve in the role.

    Since 2017, LeBlanc served as TCC’s executive vice chancellor and provost, overseeing the planning, development, and administration of the College’s core areas of academic affairs. She is also responsible for advancing TCC’s mission and strategic direction. LeBlanc has held several faculty and administrative positions at TCC, including serving as president of TCC Northwest from 2006 to 2017.

    During her career, LeBlanc has been president of Galveston College, where she helped transform the institution into a “Learning College” with a focus on student learning, assessment and outcomes. Given the limited local and state funding, LeBlanc led in the acquisition of external funding from entities such as Federal Funds, Lumina Foundation and community giving.

    She serves on several boards, including as chair of The University of North Texas Health Science Center Foundation, and is a member the TCU College of Education Board of Visitors.

    LeBlanc earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of North Texas.

    LeBlanc was appointed as Acting Chancellor of TCC in February, taking over for former Chancellor Eugene Giovannini, who was placed on administrative leave as the community college conducted an internal investigation that examined accusations levied by a former employee. Dr Giovannini resigned as Chancellor of Tarrant County College District at the end of June.

    Tarrant County College is one of the 20 largest higher education institutions in the United States. It has the second-lowest tuition of Texas’ Top 10 community colleges. The District provides comprehensive two-year college with six campuses in Fort Worth, surrounding communities and online.

    TCC offers a wide range of opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds that include traditional programs, such as Associate of Arts or Associate of Applied Science degrees, workforce and economic development programs, technical and skilled trades programs, and customized training programs for area businesses and corporations. The organization also offers Weekend College, through which students can complete an associate degree in 18 months or less by attending class full-time through weekend and online classes.

  • Tarrant County College Foundation Receives Gift for Healthcare Students

    The Tarrant County (TCC) Foundation, located in Fort Worth, has shared they have received a $1 million gift from North Texas Specialty Physicians (NTSP). The funds will establish the Advancing Healthcare for North Texas Endowed Scholarship program, which will provide scholarships for students enrolled in a health science or nursing program at TCC.

  • Texas Wesleyan and Tarrant County College Sign Dual Admission Agreement

    Texas Wesleyan University, located in Fort Worth, has shared that they have signed a dual admission agreement with Tarrant County College (TCC) to allow students a way to continue their educations between institutions.

    The multi-year agreement will allow students to use one application to apply to both TCC and Texas Wesleyan University (TXWES). TCC graduates can automatically transfer to TXWES as a junior to then complete their bachelor’s degree. There is no additional cost for participating in the program.

  • Tarrant County College Bond Proposal Wins Approval

    The Star-Telegram reports that voters approved a $825 million bond proposal for Tarrant County College, located in Fort Worth.

    Tarrant County College District will be able to issue up to $825 million in bonds to cover costs for campus expansions to meet needs of their increasing student population.

  • Catholic Charities Fort Worth Implements Stay the Course™

    The University of Notre Dame’s Wilson Sheehan Leadership for Economic Opportunities has shared that Catholic Charities Fort Worth has implemented the pilot project of Stay the Course™ along with Tarrant County College.

    Stay the Course™ address the personal, non-academic, social, and institutional barriers to success for low-income students in college. The program has two key components: full-service, wrap-around case management and access to emergency financial assistance. Eligible students are invited to express interest in the program.