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.

Read more Broward College and president cut ties after reaching settlement

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.