Groveland Councilwoman Judith Fike has been reinstated to her District 4 seat following a temporary injunction issued Wednesday morning by Circuit Judge Dan Mosely.
The injunction comes just over a week after the Groveland City Council voted to suspend Fike in response to resurfaced social media posts. Judge Mosely ruled that the city’s charter and code of ethics do not contain provisions for suspending an elected council member and found the council’s action likely exceeded its legal authority.
Fike, appointed to the council in October 2024, is currently a candidate in the upcoming August 19 primary. She is being represented in the case by Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini, who has stated that the court’s ruling invalidates actions taken by the council during her absence, including the passage of several ordinances.
The posts in question include a 2016 comment referencing the Pulse nightclub shooting and another depicting former President Barack Obama. Fike has denied that the content reflects discriminatory views, stating that some posts were misrepresented or altered.
Fike is running against two challengers: Jim O’Neil and Michael Jaycox.
