BOYNTON BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — The City of Boynton Beach says it has prevailed in federal court in a lawsuit brought by its former Human Resources Director, Tennille DeCoste, after a judge granted summary judgment to the City and dismissed the remaining claims.
The ruling, issued January 29, 2026, came from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. DeCoste’s suit alleged race discrimination and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Florida Civil Rights Act. The City said the Court found she did not present enough evidence to support any of the claims.
For residents across southern Palm Beach County, the decision centers on how a City just north of Boca Raton handled a high-level termination inside municipal government, and how a federal judge evaluated the paper trail behind it. The City’s position is that the outcome turned on an independent investigation and documented policy violations, not unlawful bias or retaliation.
According to the City, the Court concluded DeCoste’s termination followed the findings of a separate, independent investigation conducted by outside counsel. The City described that investigation as rigorous and said it substantiated six violations of City policy. Among the violations cited by the City were allegations that DeCoste misused City resources in connection with her personal political campaign, improperly engaged with labor representatives while serving as the City’s chief labor negotiator, and interfered with the investigation itself.
The City said the investigator concluded that DeCoste had “exceedingly failed to meet expectations for her role.” The City also said the Court rejected DeCoste’s discrimination and retaliation theories, finding that the timeline showed “a logical connection between her misconduct and the timing of the investigation and her termination,” rather than a discriminatory or retaliatory motive.
The federal ruling also follows separate ethics proceedings in Palm Beach County, which the City cited as part of the broader history of the dispute. After a negotiated settlement in December 2025, the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics issued DeCoste a formal Letter of Reprimand, the City said, after finding probable cause that she violated provisions of the Palm Beach County Code of Ethics.
In those proceedings, the City said the Commission on Ethics concluded DeCoste misused her City purchasing card for unauthorized expenditures and that the City did not receive reimbursement for those purchases. The City also said the Commission on Ethics found DeCoste violated the Code’s noninterference provision by attempting, along with the former Mayor, to pressure the City Manager to withdraw complaints the City Manager had filed with the Commission on Ethics and the Palm Beach County Office of Inspector General.
The City said the Commission on Ethics further noted that later complaints filed by DeCoste were not sustained by either the Commission on Ethics or the Office of Inspector General.
What happens next is not the end of the legal process. The City said it has been notified that DeCoste filed a notice of appeal of the federal court ruling. The City said it remains confident in its legal position and plans to defend the judgment in the appellate process.
For residents watching local government accountability issues in Palm Beach County, the case leaves a clear procedural marker: the trial court has entered judgment for the City at the summary judgment stage, and the former employee has signaled she intends to continue the fight through an appeal. Appeals typically focus on whether the law was applied correctly and whether the record supports the ruling, rather than re-trying the case from scratch.
In a written statement, the City framed the outcome as an affirmation of how it handled internal policy enforcement and oversight. The City said it initiated an independent investigation into policy violations and acted based on the findings, and that the federal court’s ruling confirmed those actions were lawful and appropriate. The City said it remains focused on serving residents with integrity and professionalism while the appeal moves forward.
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