A Florida city has suspended one of its council members after old social media posts surfaced. These posts included disturbing comments about victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando.
Judith Fike, a Groveland City Councilwoman, was suspended last week after nearly a decade of sharing these posts. In it, she appeared to mock the deaths of the 49 victims—most of them queer and Latino—who were murdered in the Pulse shooting.
The post read:
“Duh….why would the shooter target a gay club? My answer…Easier than marching them up steps to push off the roof..some sarcasm, some truth..”
Fike defended herself during the council meeting, saying the post was meant as a support to the community. She claimed it referenced Middle Eastern ISIS killings of queer people by rooftop executions—ISIS being the same group that Pulse shooter Omar Mateen pledged allegiance to that night. But the backlash didn’t end there. Council members pointed to additional offensive posts, including a racist image comparing Ronald Reagan and then-President Barack Obama.
Fike admitted she was behind some of the posts but said others were altered to seem more offensive. She’s now suing the city, claiming her suspension is unlawful. Fike was appointed to her council seat last year and is up for election this November. For many in Florida’s LGBTQ community, especially so close to the memory of Pulse, the incident is being met with renewed grief and calls for accountability.
