SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A Seminole County Clerk of Court and Comptroller's Office staffer was suspended Monday after making inappropriate comments on social media about Orange-Osceola County State Attorney Aramis Ayala.
Seminole County assistant finance director Stan McCullars wrote two comments on an Orlando Sentinel Facebook post about Ayala’s decision not to seek the death penalty for alleged cop killer Markeith Loyd or any other capital murder cases.
“Maybe SHE should get the death penalty,” McCullars wrote.
A few minutes later he added that Ayala "should be tarred and feathered if not hung from a tree."
The posts were later deleted.
Ayala became the first black woman to be elected as state attorney in Florida in November.
Gov. Rick Scott, through executive action, removed Ayala from prosecuting the first-degree murder case, appointing Brad King in her place.
Ayala filed a motion Monday in Orange County to challenge this decision.
The motion said that her removal because of a "disagreement over her exercise of discretion" is unprecedented.
Seminole County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Grant Maloy condemned McCullars' comments Monday, saying that they do not reflect the organization.
"The Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, our management team and employees do not tolerate or condone discriminatory behavior toward our customers, coworkers or the public, and we stand by our commitment to diversity and inclusion," Maloy said in a statement.
Maloy said he reached out to Ayala to apologize.