October 17 was supposed to be a night of celebration for the Miami Hurricanes after their thrilling win over Florida State kept their unbeaten run alive. But for defensive lineman Damon Wilson II, the victory came with an ugly aftermath. Instead of enjoying the moment, Wilson found himself on the receiving end of disturbing online messages allegedly sent from an account linked to a Florida Bar employee.
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The 21-year-old shared a screenshot of an account allegedly linked to Kade McLendon that contained disturbing messages. The messages were riddled with racist and homophobic slurs, including the n-word, threats of sexual violence against his family, vile references to slavery, and chilling threats directed at him and his loved ones.
“Glimpse into the life of a black student athlete,” Wilson captioned as he shared the screenshot on his Instagram.
The threats spread across social media like wildfire. Just a day after the disturbing incident, the Florida Bar broke its silence with a statement addressing the action taken against McLendon.
“The Florida Bar is 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,” the Florida Bar wrote on X.
With McLendon now difficult to reach after deleting his Instagram and LinkedIn accounts in the wake of the controversy, details about his background have emerged.
According to the Miami Herald, he had worked as a computer technician at the Florida Bar since June 2024 and graduated from Florida State University.
“The messages in question are not only ethically and morally reprehensible, but also violate our internal social media policy for employees,” the email from a Bar spokesperson said. “As the internal investigation continues, we are committed to enforcing our policies and procedures while making sure that any due process rights are protected.”
Damon Wilson II arrived in South Florida after previous stints at Georgia and Missouri, adding another chapter to his football journey. He wasted little time making his presence felt, recording 3.5 sacks and five tackles this season.
Wilson was also involved in a crucial moment against Florida State. In the second overtime, Seminoles quarterback Ashton Daniels found Micahi Danzy for an apparent touchdown on fourth-and-21, but the score was overturned by a holding penalty against offensive lineman Xavier Chaplin on Wilson. Bryce Fitzgerald then intercepted Daniels’ next pass, with replay review upholding the call to seal Miami’s 43-35 victory.
The abuse Wilson shared afterward shifted attention away from that dramatic finish. As the Florida Bar investigated the messages, his teammates made clear that their support extended beyond the field.
“He’s our brother, so anything he needs us to do to be there for him,” said UM tight end Elija Lofton.
Miami offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez also came forward to support his teammate, speaking about him on Tuesday, “That’s my brother, and I embrace him. It’s more than a game. That’s my brother.”
Even the students came forward to stand by Wilson, expressing that such behavior should not be tolerated in college football.
“Football’s supposed to be made to be a fun, shared experience. University of Miami is coming back from just building off their program with Coach Cristobal. And these kids are putting a lot out there, right? So they’re putting themselves, their health, and everything to be treated like that. It’s crazy,” said medical student Victoria Alvarez.
“I think it’s ridiculous. Like, come on, it’s sports,” said UM sophomore student Jarrett Soto.
A Florida Bar spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE that McLendon was “on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing.” The Bar said it remained committed to enforcing its employee policies while protecting due-process rights.
The administrative leave was not a final disciplinary finding. The investigation had not publicly established who sent the messages or why Wilson was targeted, and the available reports did not announce a dismissal or criminal charges.
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