Florida Bar Places IT Employee on Leave Over Racist, Homophobic Messages Sent to Miami's Damon Wilson II

The Florida Bar has placed one of its information technology employees on administrative leave while it investigates racist and homophobic direct messages sent to University of Miami defensive lineman Damon Wilson II after the Hurricanes' 43-35 double-overtime win over Florida State on Saturday. The Bar identified the employee as Kade McLendon, a computer technician who has worked for the organization for about two years, according to The Associated Press.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Bar said the messages violate its rules for staff conduct online. "The messages in question are not only ethically and morally reprehensible but also violate our internal social media policy for employees," the Bar said, according to the AP. The organization added: "As the internal investigation continues, we are committed to enforcing our policies and procedures while making sure that any due process rights are protected."

What the messages contained

The messages came from an account bearing McLendon's name, the AP reported, and included several racist and homophobic slurs. CBS News Miami reported that the direct messages also contained violent threats, and the Miami Herald reported, according to outlets citing its story, that they included threats of violence against Wilson and his family. The Florida Press is not repeating the language of the messages.

Wilson, who is Black, posted a screenshot of the messages publicly on Sunday, the day after the game. He captioned the post as a "glimpse into the life of a black student athlete," according to the AP.

It remains unclear why the messages were sent. The AP said its attempt to reach McLendon on Tuesday was unsuccessful. CBS News Miami described the sender as a Florida State graduate who worked in the Bar's technology department.

McLendon has not been charged with any crime, and none of the reports reviewed by The Florida Press indicated that law enforcement is involved. The Bar's action so far is an administrative leave pending its internal review, not a final disciplinary decision, and the organization has not said how long the investigation will take.

Who is Damon Wilson II

Wilson is in his first season at Miami after playing at Georgia and Missouri, the AP reported.

His teammates rallied behind him this week. "That's my brother and I embrace him," Miami offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez said Tuesday when asked about Wilson and the online comments, according to the AP. "It's more than a game. That's my brother."

Tight end Elijah Lofton offered similar support. "He's my brother, so anything he needs, we will be there for him," Lofton said, according to CBS News Miami. Teammate Chase Smith said the team needed to stay locked in on the season: "We gotta keep focused. Block out noise, whether bad or good."

No statement from the University of Miami or head coach Mario Cristobal was included in the AP or CBS News Miami reports.

Why the Florida Bar is involved

The Florida Bar is the organization that regulates and disciplines the lawyers who practice in Florida, operating as an official arm of the Florida Supreme Court. McLendon is not identified in any of the reports as an attorney; he works on the organization's technology staff, which is why the Bar has handled the matter under its employee social media policy rather than through the lawyer discipline system it runs for its members.

The case has drawn attention across the state because it links one of Florida's most heated college football rivalries to the state's lawyer-regulating body. The Bar's statement framed the messages as an employment matter while acknowledging that McLendon is entitled to due process before any final action is taken.

The game that preceded the messages

The messages followed one of the most dramatic games of the college football season. Before 66,790 fans at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, then-No. 3 Miami beat Florida State 43-35 in two overtimes, according to the AP's game story.

Darian Mensah threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns, the last a 3-yard pass to Malachi Toney in the second overtime. Toney caught 11 passes for 154 yards and two scores, then threw a 2-point conversion pass to Cooper Barkate. Bryce Fitzgerald sealed the win by intercepting a desperation pass on the final play, a call that was upheld on review. Florida State quarterback Ashton Daniels threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns in the loss.

The finish was chaotic. Florida State tied the game at 35 with 2:49 left in regulation on a 75-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to Duce Robinson, who also scored on a 20-yard catch to open the first overtime. On the Seminoles' final possession, Daniels completed a 36-yard pass on fourth-and-21 that would have brought Florida State within a 2-point try, but the play was wiped out by a holding penalty. Fitzgerald's interception came on the next snap.

Javian Mallory rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns for Miami, including one in the first overtime, and Mark Fletcher Jr. added a rushing score. The win was Miami's seventh in its last 10 games against the Seminoles, the AP reported. Florida State fell to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC and has lost 14 consecutive games away from Tallahassee.

Miami's season so far

The Hurricanes are 6-0 and 4-0 in ACC play, and they rose to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 after the win over Florida State. Miami has won every game by at least eight points, according to ESPN's schedule results.

Miami's results this season, as listed by ESPN:

What's next

Miami hosts Pittsburgh on Saturday, Oct. 24, at noon at Hard Rock Stadium, with the game scheduled to air on ESPN. The Hurricanes then travel to North Carolina on Oct. 31 and to Notre Dame on Nov. 7.

The Florida Bar has not said when its internal investigation will conclude or what discipline McLendon could face. The Florida Press will update this story as the Bar, the University of Miami or McLendon provide more information.