The Florida Bar said Tuesday it has placed an employee on administrative leave while it investigates a series of online messages sent to Miami defensive lineman Damon Wilson II after the Hurricanes' 43-35 double-overtime victory over Florida State.
The employee was identified as Kade McLendon, a computer technician who has worked at the Bar since June 2024 and is a Florida State graduate. An account using McLendon's name sent multiple messages to Wilson that included racist and homophobic slurs.
Wilson, who is Black and is in his first season at Miami after previously playing at Georgia and Missouri, shared a screenshot of the messages publicly on Sunday and described them as a "glimpse into the life of a black student athlete."
Response from the Florida Bar and the messages
The Florida Bar has put employee Kade McLendon on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing. The messages in question are not only ethically and morally reprehensible but also violate our internal social media policy for employees. As the internal investigation… pic.twitter.com/enIfSwV7e0
— The Florida Bar (@TheFlaBar) October 20, 2026
The Bar said the messages violated its internal social media policy for employees.
"The messages in question are not only ethically and morally reprehensible but also violate our internal social media policy for employees," the organization said in a statement. "As the internal investigation continues, we are committed to enforcing our policies and procedures while making sure that any due process rights are protected."
McLendon’s Instagram and LinkedIn accounts were later reported as having been taken down. The Florida Bar first acknowledged the matter Monday by saying it was aware of messages that were "possibly sent from an employee's social media account" containing inappropriate content and had opened an internal investigation.
RACIST RANT | A Florida Bar employee is on administrative leave after allegedly sending Hurricanes linebacker Damon Wilson II a barrage of racist and homophobic messages following the team’s win over FSU.
— WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) October 20, 2026
Read more: https://t.co/7aLmD6UF26 pic.twitter.com/id0JDuzM1m
The messages included multiple uses of racial slurs, homophobic language, references to slavery, and violent threats directed at Wilson and his family. One message reportedly told Wilson he was the type of person who should be forced to the back of the bus. Another referred to him in terms associated with farming equipment. Additional messages included threats of sexual violence and statements wishing harm on Wilson's family.
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