Seminole Courts employee resigns after saying Ayala should be 'hung from a tree'

An employee with the Seminole County Clerk of Court office has resigned after being suspended with pay for posting on Facebook that Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala should be "hung from a tree."

Stan McCullars, an assistant finance director at the Seminole courts office, made the comments after Ayala announced she would not pursue the death penalty for cases during her administration, including the case of Markeith Loyd. Loyd is suspected of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon and Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton. Gov. Rick Scott removed Ayala from Loyd's case and assigned another prosecutor, but it looks like Ayala may be fighting that decision.

"Maybe she should get the death penalty," McCullars wrote about Ayala on social media. "She should be tarred and feathered if not hung from a tree."

McCullars was put on administrative leave with pay on Monday as the clerk's office investigated the matter. Ayala's office has said she plans to file a formal complaint with the Seminole courts office regarding the McCullars' posts.

Grant Maloy, the Seminole County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller, announced McCullars' resignation on Wednesday in a Facebook post.

"As you may know, over the weekend an employee of the Seminole County Clerk and Comptroller’s Office made inappropriate comments on a social media site," Maloy says. "As stated earlier, these comments neither reflect my beliefs or those of the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller’s Office, nor were made on behalf of or by our organization."

Maloy also announced several changes that will be going on in the clerk's office, including a new social media policy, employee diversity and inclusion and the creation of a separate human resources department.

Let me emphasize again that 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 office’s continuing commitment to diversity and inclusion," Maloy says. "It is my ongoing commitment to serve the citizens of Seminole County and all customers of our Clerk’s Offices with the utmost integrity and professionalism while treating all in a fair and respectful manner."