Florida Homecoming Queen Accused Of Rigging Election Faces Consequences

A homecoming queen's lost a college opportunity since she was accused of rigging the election with her mother last year, according to legal representatives.

Emily Grover was 17 when the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested her and Laura Rose Carroll for allegedly hacking students' accounts to alter the outcome of a 2020 homecoming election at Tate High School in Pensacola.

Now the 19-year-old woman plans on suing both the FDLE and Escambia County Public Schools for falsely arresting her and violating her civil rights in March 2021, according to an intent to sue document obtained by WEAR-TV. Reporters say Grover pleaded no contest to the charges, and they were dropped when she completed a supervised program.

"She didn't engage in any criminal activity," Martie Mattox, Grover's attorney told the news station. "If there had been a thorough investigation conducted to do a forensic evaluation on any computers, then you would say Emily was not involved at all in casting any votes."

Investigators found evidence of unauthorized access to Carroll's FOCUS account, who was an assistant principal at Bellview Elementary at the time. FDLE says the account was used to cast fraudulent votes. They also allege that Grover bragged about accessing her mother's administrative account and casting the votes for herself.

Mattox says the scandal has cost his client a full-ride scholarship to college.

"This is a black cloud that is traveling with Emily everywhere she goes," the attorney says. He claims FDLE and Escambia County Schools have until October to respond to the letter, or he will file the lawsuit on Grover's behalf.

Escambia County Schools told WEAR-TV they're aware of the situation, but didn't provide comment due to pending litigation.

Carroll pleaded not guilty to several charges, including felonies, and she will go to trial on September 19.