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Stephany Matat

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  • First Amendment Reporter, USA Today
  • None, Tallahassee Democrat,Tallahassee Democrat Online
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As seen in: USA Today, MSN, MSN Canada, MSN Ireland, MSN Malaysia, MSN Québec, MSN UK, Yahoo Life, DolphinsWire, MSN España, The Independent (UK) and
First Amendment Reporter @USATODAY Network-Florida | formerly @AP @pbpost | DMs open for tips, notes and @taylorswift13 discussions | 📧 smatat@usatodayco.com

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Articles

Florida settles second free speech lawsuit over Charlie Kirk firing

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By Stephany Matat Verified
| Pensacola News Journal Verified
Marion County resident and former dispatcher Haley Massung filed a lawsuit in June against Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for firing her last Sept. 18 after she made a vulgar remark on another user's Facebook post about Kirk, who was killed at a Utah university about a week earlier. The $65,000 settlement includes $38,500 to cover the loss of her job, $16,500 in backpay and $10,000 for attorney fees.
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Florida settles second free speech lawsuit over Charlie Kirk firing

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By Stephany Matat Verified
| TCPalm Verified
Updated Aug. 13, 2026, 6:18 p.m. ET Florida has settled a short-lived free speech lawsuit for $65,000, marking the second loss for the state's wildlife agency after firing a state worker over a social media post criticizing Charlie Kirk, the conservative commentator who was killed in September. Marion County resident and former dispatcher Haley Massung filed a lawsuit in June against Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for firing her last Sept.
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Federal appeals court OKs Florida anti-drag show law Original

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By Stephany Matat Verified
| Tallahassee Democrat Verified
A federal appeals court ruled that Florida's law restricting children from attending "sexually explicit" drag shows does not violate the First Amendment. The court lifted a preliminary injunction that had blocked the law's enforcement, sending the case back to a lower court. The lawsuit was originally filed by Hamburger Mary’s restaurant in Orlando, which argued the law was vague and infringed on free speech.
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