Tarrant County Public Health Director Veerinder “Vinny” Taneja has resigned.
According to the Ministry of Health, Taneja's resignation took effect on Tuesday after he submitted his resignation.
Deputy County Commissioner Tom Sterling has been appointed interim chief, health officials said.
“Tarrant County will immediately begin the process of searching for a new public health director to serve the residents of Tarrant County,” the department said in a released statement.
The reason for Taneja's resignation as director is unknown.
Taneja and county spokesman Bill Hanna did not respond to calls or questions after Tuesday's announcement.
The announcement came hours after Tarrant County commissioners met behind closed doors to discuss personal matters, but indicated the public health director was also on the agenda.
It also comes a day after the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported it had obtained documents detailing a 2022 personnel investigation into workplace culture conducted under Taneja at the health department.
The Star-Telegram reported that Taneja refuted complaints from more than a dozen employees about the citation of a “toxic work environment.” Mr. Taneja remained in office after the investigation concluded, and it is not clear whether this had anything to do with his resignation.
