The City of Haine, Florida has agreed to pay $550,000 to settle a federal lawsuit brought by former city clerk Erica Anderson, who alleged she endured years of racial harassment, defamation, and retaliation from then-Mayor Anne Huffman before being wrongfully terminated in 2022, according to Atlanta Black Star.
Court documents reveal a disturbing pattern of abuse: Huffman, who is also Black, allegedly mocked Anderson’s natural hairstyle as “Aunt Jemima braids,” demanded she wear makeup to conceal a disabling skin condition, and told her she didn’t “act Black enough” for certain neighborhoods. The former mayor also allegedly retaliated when Anderson reported sexual harassment by a vendor, asking, “Are you sure this is what you want to do to another Black man?”
The retaliation escalated in 2022 after Anderson filed a whistleblower complaint. During a public meeting, Huffman defamed Anderson by falsely claiming her fiancé was her “other boyfriend” – a comment U.S. District Judge William F. Jung later ruled was intentionally humiliating. Anderson, who developed severe anxiety and depression from the harassment, was fired months later after taking medical leave.
In a March 2025 ruling denying the city’s dismissal motion, Judge Jung highlighted glaring inconsistencies in the city’s claims. Just months before her termination, Huffman had praised Anderson as an “exceptional” employee deserving of a raise. Yet after Anderson took leave, Huffman urgently inquired about firing her—...
Kelley Wolf claimed she’s being treated poorly in her hometown amid her ongoing contentious divorce from her estranged husband, Scott Wolf. The “Real World” alum shared an Instagram post on Saturda...