What’s Going on at TCC?

In fall 2021, Elva LeBlanc, who was recently appointed chancellor of Tarrant County College (TCC), delivered a rousing presentation to the same TCC trustees who remain in office. The presentation boiled down to plans to place race — in this case, Hispanics — above qualifications when hiring new college faculty. Studies, LeBlanc argued, show that adults taught by those who look like them causes the students to have a higher educational experience in all areas. LeBlanc, who was TCC’s executive vice president at the time, said the percentage ratio of Hispanic faculty to students [was not on par with the student population]. LeBlanc’s conclusion that Hispanic student retention would improve only if TCC hired more Latino and Latina teachers negated the possibility that non-Hispanic teachers could also inspire those young minds.

Outside of suggesting racially discriminatory and potentially illegal laws being instituted at each campus, LeBlanc suggested the college should implement race-based hiring practices to better serve the makeup of the college students, which would mean ignoring applicants who demonstrate equal character, qualifications, and communication skills.

All things being equal, TCC’s HR department is now poised to enact the whims and desires of now-Chancellor LeBlanc. The ethnicity of the faculty will mirror the students. Right now, Black TCC students make up 17% of the student body while Black teachers make up 15% of the faculty. In other words, for every 100 faculty positions, only 15 are filled by Black professors. This means, under LeBlanc’s stated plan, only two Black professors may be hired until there is an increase in the number of Black students. What happens if Black enrollment should decrease?

TCC hiring based upon national origin or appearance instead of the best qualified is in violation of its own antidiscrimination policy, which prohibits such antics as does federal law. During the 2021 presentation, TCC trustees sat mostly silent as this malevolently conceived presentation filtered down. Trustees Bill Greenhill and Gwen Morrison were absent. This policy is moving forward with the full support of all but two trustees. In November 2022, then-vice chancellor and provost LeBlanc was made chancellor by a 5-2 vote. The motion to accomplish this was made at this past Nov. 5 TCC trustee meeting by District 6 Trustee Morrison and seconded by District 4 Trustee Greenhill, thus putting forward their full blessing on this policy of discrimination. This places all taxpayers in harm’s way for more lawsuits settled at taxpayers’ expense and leaving qualified educators in its wake.

What in Greenhill is this governing body doing?

Signed,

A Concerned Tarrant County Taxpayer

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