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CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Florida Bar has fired an employee after a brief investigation into Instagram direct messages that were sent to a Miami football player after the Hurricanes beat Florida State last weekend.
Kade McLendon, who worked at the Bar for about two years as a computer technician, was fired on Wednesday, the Bar said.
An account from a person using McLendon’s name sent a number of messages to Miami’s Damon Wilson II after the Hurricanes’ 43-35 victory, including several racist and homophobic slurs.
Wilson, who is Black, shared a screenshot of the messages publicly Sunday, calling it a “glimpse into the life of a black student athlete.” The Bar said Tuesday that McLendon was under investigation.
“Those messages were reprehensible and inconsistent with the mission, values, and policies of The Florida Bar,” the group’s statement said Wednesday. “While McLendon 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. As of today, The Florida Bar has terminated McLendon’s employment.”
An attempt by The Associated Press to reach McLendon on Tuesday was unsuccessful. It’s unclear why the private messages were sent to Wilson, who is in his first season at Miami after previously playing at Georgia and Missouri.
“That’s my brother and I embrace him,” Miami offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez said Tuesday when asked about Wilson and the online comments. “It’s more than a game. That’s my brother.”
Miami, the No. 1-ranked team in the AP Top 25, next plays Saturday at home against Pittsburgh.