Florida Bar Responds to Racist Allegations at Miami Hurricanes Star Defender

MIAMI, Fla. – Following a 43-35 double-overtime win over the Florida State Seminoles at Hard Rock Stadium last Saturday, Miami Hurricanes defensive end Damon Wilson II exposed a Tallahassee fan for alleged racist remarks through Instagram direct messages.

The account, @aye_its_kade951, is apparently owned by Kade McLendon. He initially attended Daytona State College, then transferred to Florida State University in January of 2022.

The following year, McLendon finished with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, according to LinkedIn. Upon graduating, he has been working as a Computer Technician at The Florida Bar, the organization for all lawyers licensed by the Supreme Court of Florida to practice law in the state.

After requesting further comments about the alleged situation, MiamiRoundtable was replied to with the initial statement:

“The Florida Bar is aware of the messages that were possibly sent from an employee’s social media account that contained inappropriate content and we have started an internal investigation into the matter.”

Another statement was then released, updating the situation:

“The Florida Bar has put the employee Kate McLendon on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing,” it said. “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 continues, we are committed to enforcing our policies and procedures while making sure that any due process rights are protected.”

The Hurricanes and Seminoles rivalry is one of the most historic, not just in college, but in all of sports. It goes back to the first meeting between the programs on Oct. 5, 1951. They’ve won National Championships over 75 years of history, including standout moments such as Wide Right and Wide Left.

Saturday’s game was nothing short of controversial.

In the second overtime, trailing while in need of a touchdown and a two-point conversion, Seminoles fifth-year quarterback Ashton Daniels threw a Hail Mary pass to wide receiver Micahi Danzy for a 36-yard touchdown. However, the highlight was erased from the scoreboard, as left tackle Xavier Chaplin was called for holding on Wilson II.

The play did not go under review.

Afterwards, Daniels found star wide receiver Duce Robinson from the 45-yard line to the end zone. However, Hurricanes cornerback/safety Bryce Fitzgerald intercepted the pass. It’s another controversial play that went under review and the Atlantic Coast Conference replay center upheld the call.

Unfortunately, Wilson II is just one of several cases in college sports involving racism. If every athlete shared what was being sent to them on social media, there would likely be endless messages.

Given today’s college football world run by N.I.L and the transfer portal, it has affected how players are perceived by fans. They are viewed as professionals rather than student-athletes.

Wilson II transferred to the Coral Gables program in the spring from Missouri. He’s among the Hurricanes' sack leaders with 3.5 this season thus far. As they prepare to face the Pitt Panthers this Saturday, kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. E.T. and will be televised on ESPN; the process involving McLendon is ongoing.

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