Broward College trustees have been ordered to delay a vote on firing President Torey Alston after a judge ruled the board must first attempt to resolve the employment dispute through mediation. A circuit court judge blocked the scheduled special meeting on Wednesday, citing a contract clause that requires the board to “attempt in good faith” to resolve employment disagreements before taking termination action.
Trustees had planned to meet on Wednesday to vote on the termination. Alston filed a lawsuit on Monday, arguing that bypassing mediation would violate the terms of his contract. At a hearing on Tuesday, Judge Keathan Frink agreed with the president’s legal team, pausing the vote and setting an Aug. 25 deadline for the mediation to take place. Alston confirmed in an email that the mediation is scheduled for Aug. 24.
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The mediation does not guarantee Alston will keep his job. The board added a motion to an Aug. 25 meeting to consider whether to fire him or ratify a settlement agreement. If the mediation fails, the board could move forward with termination without cause.
Performance and Dispute
Trustee Michael Caschette brought the motion to terminate Alston following two contentious meetings in June. Board members criticized Alston over the college’s low nursing licensure exam passage rates and his response to donors and community leaders. Broward’s nursing program was placed on probation in February by the Florida Board of Nursing. The passage rate reached a recent low of 68.4% in the first quarter of 2026 before rising to 72.3% in the second quarter, compared with a national average of 88.5%.
Alston received a score of 50 out of 100 on his performance evaluation, which disqualified him from an additional $50,000 in merit compensation. He alleges the evaluation was delayed and administered inconsistently with his contract and board criteria. Alston also contested the accuracy of the meeting minutes, calling them “materially incomplete and inconsistent” with the proceedings.
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Broward’s board chair, Alexis Yarbrough, directed officials to launch an outside investigation into the evaluation process after Alston filed a formal complaint on Aug. 12. He asked for an inquiry into whether his evaluation was conducted properly and whether board members retaliated against him for cooperating in a state investigation into Yarbrough and raising concerns about board interference in presidential operations.
Alston emphasized his selection by the board in a 5-0 vote. He pointed to increases in enrollment, retention and completion rates during his tenure and noted recognition by the Aspen Institute as a top college. He said he hopes to remain president and that the board and himself can work together to address the issues.
