Florida Bar Puts Employee On Leave Over Racist, Violent Messages To College Football Player

The Florida Bar spends a chunk of its time dealing with other people’s ethical lapses. This week, it’s dealing with one from its own payroll.

The Bar said Tuesday it has placed Kade McLendon, a computer technician who has worked there for about two years, on administrative leave while it investigates a string of Instagram messages allegedly sent from his account to Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Damon Wilson II. The messages came after Miami’s 43-35 thrilling double-overtime win over Florida State on Saturday, and they were not garden-variety rivalry trash talk. According to the screenshots Wilson posted Sunday, they included repeated use of the n-word, a line about Wilson belonging at the back of the bus, and threats of sexual violence against Wilson and his family. “I am going to rape, beat and kill ur family,” reads one.

Wilson, who is Black and in his first season at Miami after stints at Georgia and Missouri, captioned the screenshots “Glimpse into the life of a black student athlete.”

The Bar’s response came in two installments. On Monday, it said it was “aware of messages that were possibly sent from an employee’s social media account that contained inappropriate content, and we have started an internal investigation into this matter.” By Tuesday, “possibly” and “inappropriate” had been retired:

“The messages in question are not only ethically and morally reprehensible but also violate our internal social media policy for employees.”

Good to know there’s a policy.

The Associated Press tried and failed to reach McLendon on Tuesday, and his social media accounts have since been taken offline. Wilson’s teammates, meanwhile, closed ranks. “That’s my brother and I embrace him,” Miami offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez said Tuesday. “It’s more than a game. That’s my brother.”

The Bar hasn’t said what discipline, if any, comes once the investigation wraps, but the statement doesn’t leave much room for equivocation.