Florida Bar Fires Employee Over Alleged Racist Instagram Tirade Against Miami Hurricanes Player

The Florida Bar fired a computer technician Wednesday after racist messages and threats against University of Miami defensive lineman Damon Wilson II were sent from the employee’s Instagram account. Kade McClendon denied writing the messages, which Wilson shared publicly after Miami’s 43-35 victory over Florida State on Saturday night. The Florida Bar placed McClendon on administrative leave Tuesday and later dismissed him after an investigation. “Those messages were reprehensible and inconsistent with the mission, values, and policies of The Florida Bar,” The Florida Bar said in a statement. “While McClendon denies sending the messages, he did not provide evidence sufficient to demonstrate to The Florida Bar’s satisfaction that his Instagram account had been compromised.” Wilson posted a screenshot of the exchange to his Instagram Story over the weekend, writing, “Glimpse into the life of a black student athlete.” The screenshot showed 12 messages containing racist and homophobic slurs, references to slavery and threats of sexual violence. The messages included three uses of the N-word and two uses of a homophobic slur. One called Wilson a “cotton picking” N-word. Another said, “I hope my great grand daddy beat urs so hard,” while a separate message described him as “farming equipment.” The slurs also targeted Wilson’s performance on the field. One message wished sexual violence against him because he “can’t play ball.” Another threatened his relatives, saying, “I am going to rape, beat and kill ur family.” Wilson’s post spread across social media, where users circulated screenshots of a LinkedIn profile identifying McClendon as a computer technician employed by the Florida Bar since 2024. The profile also listed him as a Florida State University graduate. His social media accounts were no longer available Monday. The Florida Bar publicly announced Tuesday that it had placed the employee on administrative leave while it investigated the messages.