- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Boynton Beach Today
By the People, for the People
Boynton Beach Prevails in Lawsuit Against Former HR Director
Federal court grants summary judgment in favor of the city, dismissing claims of race discrimination and retaliation.
Published on Mar. 2, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The City of Boynton Beach, Florida has prevailed in a federal lawsuit filed by its former Human Resources Director, Tennille DeCoste. The court granted summary judgment in favor of the city, dismissing DeCoste's claims of race discrimination and retaliation in her termination. The court found that DeCoste's firing was due to six violations of city policy, including misuse of city resources for her personal political campaign and interference with the investigation.
Why it matters
This case highlights the importance of public sector employers maintaining clear policies and procedures, and taking appropriate disciplinary action when those policies are violated, even against high-level employees. The court's ruling affirms the city's ability to hold its staff accountable and defend its decisions in court.
The details
The lawsuit was filed by former HR Director Tennille DeCoste, who claimed she was terminated due to race discrimination and retaliation. However, the federal court found that DeCoste failed to provide evidence to support her claims. Instead, the court determined that DeCoste's termination was justified based on six violations of city policy, including misusing city resources for her personal political campaign, improper engagement with labor representatives, and interfering with the investigation into her conduct.
- The federal court granted summary judgment in favor of the City of Boynton Beach on March 2, 2026.
- Prior to the federal lawsuit, the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics had issued a formal Letter of Reprimand to DeCoste for misusing her city purchasing card and other ethics violations.
The players
City of Boynton Beach
The local government of Boynton Beach, Florida, which prevailed in the federal lawsuit against its former HR Director.
Tennille DeCoste
The former Human Resources Director of the City of Boynton Beach, who filed the federal lawsuit alleging race discrimination and retaliation in her termination.
What’s next
DeCoste has filed a notice of appeal, but the City of Boynton Beach is prepared to vigorously defend the court's summary judgment ruling.
The takeaway
This case demonstrates that public sector employers can successfully defend their personnel decisions in court when they have clear policies in place and can demonstrate that disciplinary actions were justified, even against high-level staff. The ruling affirms the city's ability to hold its employees accountable for misconduct.
