Durham Public Schools on Monday voted to fire Deputy Superintendent Tanya Giovanni, the district announced, making her the second central-office leader shown the door while criminal proceedings tied to a 2024 classroom incident move forward. Giovanni had been on paid administrative leave while investigators and a grand jury reviewed the district’s records, and her ouster follows months of scrutiny over how officials handled the original allegation.
The school board signed off on Giovanni’s dismissal after a closed-session vote, according to reporting by WRAL. She had been suspended with pay since mid December and, while still on the payroll, was listed in public records with an annual salary of roughly $174,500, according to the station.
Court documents show Giovanni was indicted in January and is listed on the Durham Superior Court calendar as facing five felony counts of obstructing justice tied to the investigation. Durham Superior Court records name Giovanni and outline the obstruction charges filed in January.
The criminal counts stem from an allegation at Eno Valley Elementary in November 2024 that an instructional assistant tied a 6-year-old student with autism to a chair with a jump rope; the student’s family later filed a civil lawsuit describing injuries and trauma. Superintendent Anthony Lewis and district officials have said the system is cooperating with investigators and has started an independent review and additional staff training, as reported by ABC11.
Legal Status And Next Steps
The decision to fire Giovanni follows an earlier personnel shakeup. The board terminated Senior Executive Director Ayesha Hunter in February after Hunter was charged in the same probe, according to local reporting. WRAL reported that Hunter’s firing was approved in closed session in February; prosecutors have said the charges focus on what officials told investigators and whether records were produced to the district attorney’s office.
The criminal cases remain active in Durham County Superior Court and are likely to move through pretrial steps over the coming months. Meanwhile, parents and advocates are pressing the district for clearer policies and faster, more transparent responses to serious allegations. The district has said it will reassess investigative practices and required training while legal proceedings continue. INDY Week and district communications describe those community demands and the district’s stated next steps.
