A father-daughter lawyer duo in Florida may face disciplinary action for speaking out against a judge’s ruling. In 2021, AdventHealth in Orlando allegedly fired a Black doctor from their staff due to racial discrimination, and the judge overruled the jury decision awarding $2.7 million to the doctor.
Civil rights attorney Jerry Girley represented the doctor, and the jury sided with Girley’s client. However, the presiding judge, Judge Kevin Weiss, overruled the decision. Judge Weiss said the doctor failed to prove that race was a factor in his dismissal from a radiology program.
Therefore, Girley and his daughter, Brooke, who was not involved in the case, publicly criticized the judge’s decision. The Florida Bar, an organization of licensed lawyers in Florida, says Girley gave an interview where he said the decision was improper.
Also, the group accuses him of saying the court system does not provide equal justice to all. He stated that the court often undermines Black people and their cases. Girley noted that the entire affair be viewed from the lens of Florida’s political environment.
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The government has blocked public colleges from using taxpayers’ money on diversity programs and standards for teaching Black history. He added, “Middle school teachers are teaching that enslaved people developed skills that could be applied for personal benefit.”
“What is disturbing to me, as a Black man living in Florida, is I find I have to be careful about what I say. What I think about race not just in courts, but in schools and corporate settings,” Girley said in an interview. “It’s a weight.”
The Girleys’ attorney, David Winker, said his clients planned to ask the judge for a rehearing. “We think the reports contain factual inaccuracies,” Winker said. “There is a long road now before we finalize anything.”
Also, Brooke wrote on social media, “Even when we win, it takes only one white judge to reverse our victory.” The presiding judge, Weiss, said in court papers that the Girleys’ allegations “spread across the internet.” Consequentially leading to death threats requiring police protection at his home.
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The Florida Bar says the allegations leveled at Weiss violated their oath, promising to respect the courts and judicial officers. As a result, Judge Lisa Herndon recommended a 30-day suspension for the father-daughter duo.
Also, she recommended they complete a workshop on professionalism, as they violated their oath of admission. Herndon added that they failed to maintain respect due to judicial offices and making false statements. “The content of the statements undermines public confidence in our court system and is prejudicial to the administration of justice,” she said.
On the other hand, Winker argues that disciplining them could chill free speech for Florida lawyers. However, Herndon said that free speech did not protect their statements. She stated that the lawyers had failed to show they had a factual basis for making the statements.
The Florida Supreme Court will ultimately decide what, if any, discipline Girleys would face. However, the punishment could go as far as disbarment or suspension of the Girleys’ law licenses.
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