TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Dozens of people gathered at the Leon County Commission meeting Tuesday in support of Commissioner Carolyn Cummings.
Cummings recently called County Attorney Chasity O’Steen’s hiring practices.
WCTV obtained dueling memos and letters between the two in which O’Steen said she cannot consider race or gender in hiring decisions and Cummings responded that O’Steen just doesn’t want to be questioned about hiring practices.
Cummings also said she felt a recent memo was directed squarely at her.
Previously, County Chairman Christian Caban praised both Cummings and O’Steen. Caban said that Cummings is “dearly loved by myself personally, and I think every single person up here on this board.”
“However, I feel like I know the county attorney and I’ve gotten to know her very well and I feel like based on conversations I’ve had with her as well, that there was no ill will intended for you to feel disrespected,” he said.
More Tallahassee news:
Tuesday, supporters for Cummings attended the meeting dressed in white, among them, Tallahassee City Commissioners Curtis Richardson and Diane Williams-Cox.
Williams-Cox called on the county commissioners to stand up for Cummings and voiced her support.
“We see you Commissioner Cummings,” Williams-Cox said. “The other little girls want to be you.”
Reverend RB Holmes took to the podium in support of Cummings and encouraging equality.
“Equity and equality must remain our guiding principles, he said. ”The Civil War was fought over the freedom for all Americans.”
Long time local government watcher Stanley Sims called the county attorney’s hiring practices into question.
“In all the time you’ve been here, you haven’t found one qualified Black attorney?” he asked.
Cummings thanked everyone for the outpouring of support and said she’ll always stand up for what’s right.
Another factor of the enhanced scrutiny surrounding hiring practices is a looming lawsuit from an FSU law school graduate and Tallahassee lawyer.
Per an internal memo, Collins was not hired by the county attorney and plans to move forward with litigation.
To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Nextdoor and X (Twitter).
Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here. Please include the article’s headline in your message.
Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here to get started.
Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.