Broward College and president cut ties after reaching settlement

Without a word of public discussion or debate, the board of Broward College dismissed its president Tuesday after negotiating a settlement agreement a day earlier.

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Former college President Torey Alston accepted the settlement just 15 minutes before the board’s Tuesday meeting, ending his 18-month tenure at the helm of the college.

The majority of the discussion took place behind closed doors and by court order. The board had scheduled a vote on Alston’s fate last week, but a judge intervened, agreeing that Alston was legally entitled to mediation. The negotiations were exempt from Florida’s open meetings law, but the outcome was not.

Alston will receive a $430,000 payout, and after the meeting he was tight-lipped about the board’s actions, the end of his tenure and his next steps.

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Allies packed the board’s meeting room at the school’s downtown Fort Lauderdale campus, with many settling for seating in an overflow room.

“He is a good public servant,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner and congressional candidate Oliver Gilbert. “Usually when you have complaints about someone’s job performance, you give them the opportunity to actually fix it.”

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Read the full story on the South Florida Sun Sentinel.