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Black America Web
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Black America Web
Florida Councilwoman Sues After Suspended Over Racist Tweets
Source: eyecrave / Getty In today's episode of If They Have Nothing Else, They Have The Caucasity, a city councilwoman in Florida is suing the city council for anti-bigotry discrimination. No, that's not the language used in the lawsuit filed by Groveland City Council member Judi Fike — because Liar Liar is only a movie — but that's essentially what Fike is alleging after she was suspended and stripped of her duties pending a full investigation into homophobic and racist tweets she allegedly posted as far as 2015 and as recent as 2022. According to the Clermont Sun, Fike's suspension came after the Sun published an exclusive investigation revealing dozens of her old tweets, in which she joked about throwing gay people off a roof and showed extreme racial resentment for Black people. The District 4 councilwoman reportedly had to be escorted from a July 7 meeting by police for disrupting proceedings after Vice Mayor Barbara Gaines, who had received printed out copies of Fike's alleged tweets from an anonymous source, gave an impassioned speech about racism and inclusivity. 'Fike's attorney, Anthony Sabatini, filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against the City of Groveland at the Fifth Judicial Court of Lake County on July 9,' the Sun reported. 'In the filing, he is claiming $100,000 plus in damages.' Last month, Judi Fike issued an apology, claiming she takes 'full responsibility for my past words,' but much of her statement was devoted to defending herself against what she unsurprisingly calls a 'political attack.' 'I've campaigned on inclusiveness, fairness and standing up for Groveland – not tearing others down,' she wrote. 'That's what makes this political attack so disappointing. These tweets didn't suddenly resurface; someone chose to dig them up and distribute them anonymously in an election season, to distract from the real issues. 'I will not let that tactic work,' she continued. And there it is… Judi Fike claims she takes 'full responsibility' for her words, saying, 'I regret them deeply, and I sincerely apologize to anyone who was hurt by them.' She even went as far as to declare, 'Personal growth isn't always neat or pretty, but it is necessary.' However, she hasn't grown so much that she's above suing over her suspension, because the exposure of her regretful words is part of a 'political attack.' That's not 'regret' for what she said; it's regret for getting caught. In fact, let's take a look at the old tweets she regrets and takes full responsibility for — minus, of course, the ones she claims were 'manipulated.' From LGBTQ Nation: Just hours after the Pulse nightclub shooting in June 2016 in nearby Orlando, Fike posted to Facebook, 'Duh….why would the shooter target a gay club? My answer…Easier than marching them up steps to push off the sarcasm, some truth…' In 2015, Fike posted to her 'Widow Fike' account on Twitter (now X), 'Can we divert our attention back to real news? The #LGBT freak show has had its run.' Fike owns and operates a catering company called The Black Napkin. Last week, the city council confronted Fike with the posts in an open meeting, displaying screenshots as Fike watched, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Groveland Vice Mayor Barbara Gaines, who is Black, said the posts included 'racist' portrayals of then-President Barack Obama as a monkey. 'This is a picture of President Ronald Reagan babysitting Barack Obama, except it is an ape, a baboon, a monkey or whatever you call it,' Gaines said. In several tweets shared at the meeting, Fike obsesses over the word 'thug'. '#thug the new n word,' she posted in 2015. 'Thug life = thug treatment = no pity from me,' she wrote in 2019. In 2022, Fike shared a meme that read, 'What's the magic word to get what you want? Racist!' Judi Fike essentially claimed that her post about the Pulse nightclub shooting went over the heads of council members, and that her message was about a presidential candidate in 2016 aligning with a community in the Middle East who were 'pushing gay individuals off of buildings.' (So, she wasn't being homophobic; she was being Islamophobic. Got it.) 'It was meant as a support of the community, not against the community,' she said. 'It might have been written in poor taste, but I want to clarify that for you because that was going on at the time.' Then, predictably, the councilwoman who takes full responsibility for her words — does not take full responsibility for her words. 'Those are indeed manipulated, and so I'll just let that rest,' Fike said during the meeting. 'They are not my words. Some are, there are some copies, but what Barbara just showed were absolutely not products of mine.' It's unclear exactly which tweets Judi Fike is copping to and which ones she's claiming were 'manipulated,' but the council didn't buy any of it anyway, so she was voted out all the same. Apparently, they didn't believe this so-called victim of a 'political attack' was also the victim of vicious photoshoppers who 'manipulated' images of her being bigoted to supplement the actual images of her being bigoted. 'Words have impact. As elected officials, we are committed to respecting all people in our community by being accountable and inclusive leaders,' Gaines said during the meeting. 'When you make hateful and racist remarks, it only hurts people and fails to align with that commitment.' Exactly. SEE ALSO: Florida Law Student Suspended For Antisemitism After He Was Awarded For Writing That Constitution Only Applies To White People White Florida Man Says He Would Have Shot Black Girl Who Rang His Doorbell Florida Councilwoman Files Lawsuit After Being Suspended Over Racist And Homophobic Tweets was originally published on
Global News
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Horse euthanized after injury during Stampede chuckwagon race
Officials from the Calgary Stampede said a horse that was hurt during a chuckwagon race on Saturday was put down. A Stampede spokesperson said a horse on Chad Fike's team sustained a racing injury during the eighth heat. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy They said medical care was immediately dispatched, but following an assessment, the owner and the veterinary team made the 'humane decision' to euthanize the horse. An entry on the World Professional Chuckwagon Association website says Fike, who lives in Cremona, Alta., is a fourth-generation chuckwagon competitor. The horse is the first reported animal death at the 2025 Calgary Stampede, which wraps Monday. Three horses and a steer were euthanized at last year's Stampede, and animal rights groups have long called for the rodeo portion of the event to be eliminated because of the deaths.
Hamilton Spectator
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Horse euthanized after injury during chuckwagon race at Calgary Stampede
CALGARY - Officials from the Calgary Stampede say a horse that was hurt during a chuckwagon race on Saturday has been euthanized. A Stampede spokesperson says a horse on Chad Fike's team sustained a racing injury during the eighth heat. They say medical care was immediately dispatched, but following an assessment, the owner and the veterinary team made the 'humane decision' to euthanize the horse. An entry on the World Professional Chuckwagon Association website says Fike, who lives in Cremona, Alta., is a fourth-generation chuckwagon competitor. The horse is the first reported animal death at the 2025 Calgary Stampede, which wraps today. Three horses and a steer were euthanized at last year's Stampede, and animal rights groups have long called for the rodeo portion of the event to be eliminated because of the deaths. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Horse euthanized after injury during chuckwagon race at Calgary Stampede
CALGARY – Officials from the Calgary Stampede say a horse that was hurt during a chuckwagon race on Saturday has been euthanized. A Stampede spokesperson says a horse on Chad Fike's team sustained a racing injury during the eighth heat. They say medical care was immediately dispatched, but following an assessment, the owner and the veterinary team made the 'humane decision' to euthanize the horse. An entry on the World Professional Chuckwagon Association website says Fike, who lives in Cremona, Alta., is a fourth-generation chuckwagon competitor. The horse is the first reported animal death at the 2025 Calgary Stampede, which wraps today. Currently on hiatus A review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe. Three horses and a steer were euthanized at last year's Stampede, and animal rights groups have long called for the rodeo portion of the event to be eliminated because of the deaths. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2025.
Calgary Herald
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Chuckwagon horse injured Saturday at Calgary Stampede races
A horse was injured Saturday night at the Calgary Stampede's Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races. Article content No immediate report was available regarding the horse's condition, but it was loaded onto a trailer as announcer Les McIntyre told the crowd that the horse would get the best care and would hopefully be able to return to racing. Article content Article content The horse was part of the rig of Chad Fike, a fourth-generation driver who has been coming to the Stampede for more than 10 years. Article content Article content The Saturday night injury occurred in Heat 8 of the chuckwagon races. A time-delayed television broadcast of the race showed Fike's rig starting the race with two other competitors, but didn't make mention of why the race ended with only those two other competitors crossing the finish line. Later in the broadcast, it was announced Fike had received 'no time' in the race and had 'pulled up' in the back part of the track. Article content Article content 'It's about a 16-hour day in the summer — getting up early, making sure they always have food in front of them, they're staying cool and hydrated,' said Fike. Article content 'They are professional athletes, and they have to be treated like that.' Article content The Calgary Stampede is known as a leader when it comes to rodeo and chuckwagon safety, and earlier this month held a news conference to share new research and safety protocols. Items are installed in barns including misters — to keep animals cool when the temperature rises — as well as a salt water spa to help reduce swelling of horses' joints and muscles. Article content Article content Importantly, the Stampede has a fitness-to-compete program, which makes sure that before any chuckwagon horses are put on the track they are in good shape. At the start of the day, veterinarians check every horse that will be used in the races, which includes a check of their temperature, heart rate and overall wellness. Vets do another check around 5 p.m. daily, before the horses get final clearance to race. Article content 'Our goal is to create the very safest conditions possible,' Kristina Barnes, the Stampede's director of agriculture and western events, said shortly before this year's Stampede. Article content The Stampede has a team of veterinarians on site 24 hours a day, as well as an animal behaviour specialist and a third-party auditor who works to identify improvements that can be made. 'If any animal at the rodeo is showing any signs of distress, it does not compete,' Barnes said. Beginning in April of each year, the Stampede's venue maintenance teams begin preparing the track and infield for the rodeo. The conditions of the track play a major role in the safety of rodeo events. 'About 1,800 hours have been put into this area to this point,' Barnes said in late June. 'They will continue to work moving up to Stampede, and they'll go overnight if they need to, to make sure the track conditions are safe.' Additionally, the Stampede's continued partnership with the University of Calgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is leading industry research on animal welfare and safety. Article content
