Former Tarrant County College Chancellor Eugene Giovannini sued the college last month for breach of contract.
Giovannini resigned in 2022 after trustees voted to terminate him following an investigation into an alleged relationship with an employee. He denies the relationship.
In the lawsuit, Giovannini alleges that TCC did not have cause to fire him and that the college’s decision “was actually based on a severely compromised process that relied upon falsehoods.”
The lawsuit comes four years after former administrator Kristen Bennett sued Tarrant County College in federal court, alleging that the college violated her contract, the First Amendment, due process and participated in gender-based discrimination.
Bennett, who led the TCC Foundation, said in her lawsuit that Giovannini retaliated against her for disciplining the employee with whom he was allegedly having an affair. Giovannini denies retaliating against Bennett in his suit.
After an investigation into Giovannini, trustees ultimately voted to fire him, and he subsequently resigned.
Bennett’s lawsuit ended after she requested a dismissal.
Giovannini is asking for monetary relief of more than $1 million.
Giovannini and his attorneys did not respond to the Report’s request for comment. Tarrant County College officials declined to comment.
Bennett, who was not aware of the suit until contacted by the Report, said she wishes Giovannini and the college “all the best.”
McKinnon Rice is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org.
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The Report’s higher education coverage is supported in part by major higher education institutions in Tarrant County, including Tarleton State University, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M-Fort Worth, Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, the University of Texas at Arlington and UNT Health Science Center. Atthe Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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