Federal Judge Sanctions Florida Wildlife Official for False Testimony
A federal judge sanctioned a Florida wildlife official for lying about complaint numbers in a case involving an employee fired over a Charlie Kirk social media post.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — A federal judge has imposed sanctions against a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission supervisor for providing false testimony in a case involving the firing of a state employee over a social media post following Charlie Kirk’s killing.
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker struck testimony from Melissa Tucker, a division director at FWC, and ordered attorney fees to be awarded against her after determining she exaggerated the number of complaints the agency received about biologist Brittney Brown’s social media activity.
False Claims About Complaint Volume
Tucker testified that Brown’s Instagram repost resulted in hundreds of documented complaints that disrupted FWC operations. However, court proceedings later revealed that approximately 50 documented complaints actually reached the department, and most of those never reached the officials who made the decision to fire Brown.
“There is a label for what Ms. Tucker did — making false statements. And there is a label for what defense counsel has done — vexatious litigation,” Walker wrote in a five-page order. The judge also criticized Tucker’s counsel for their “continued defense of her false statements.”
The Original Social Media Post
Brown was terminated after reposting content to her private Instagram account following Kirk’s death. The post came from a profile that parodies how a whale might view the world, stating: “The whales are deeply saddened to learn of the shooting of charlie kirk, haha just kidding, they care exactly as much as charlie kirk cared about children being shot in their classrooms.”
The repost generated negative public reaction that led to calls for Brown’s dismissal from her position as an FWC biologist.
Legal Response and Immunity Claims
One day after Walker’s sanctions order, Tucker filed a request for qualified immunity protection. The case represents part of Brown’s legal challenge to her termination, with the biologist having previously sought summary judgment in the matter.
The sanctions include striking Tucker’s testimony from the record and requiring her to pay attorney fees to the opposing party. Walker’s order signals the court’s intolerance for what he characterized as deliberately false statements made under oath during legal proceedings.
The case continues as Brown pursues her claims against the state agency for what she alleges was wrongful termination based on her constitutionally protected speech on a private social media account.
