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Former Tate Homecoming Queen Intends To Sue Following Vote Scandal
September 3, 2022
Emily Grover, who was accused of rigging her election as Tate High School’s 2020 homecoming queen, has filed notice that she intends to sue the Escambia County School District and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Grover claims her civil rights were violated and she suffered emotional distress in a case that made international news.
Grover and her mother, Laura Rosa Carroll, Emily Rose Grover, were charged by FDLE with one count each of offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks, and electronic devices (a third degree felony), unlawful use of a two-way communications device (a third degree felony), criminal use of personally identifiable information (a third degree felony) and conspiracy to commit these offenses (a first degree misdemeanor).
Grover was expelled from Tate following the incident. In January 2022, Grover successfully completed a pre-trial diversion program that resulted in the charges against her being dismissed in March 2022.
In a letter from her attorney, Grover claims a FDLE investigator did not speak with anyone at the company that ran the election to verify information or establish the chain of evidence to ensure it had not been tampered with or altered.
Grover’s attorney, Marie Mattox, told our news partners at WEAR 3 that Grover did nothing criminal.
“This is a black cloud that is traveling with Emily everywhere she goes,” Mattox said.
Mattox said because of the accusations, Grover’s college acceptance was rescinded, costing her a full ride scholarship.
“She needs to be able to start her life over without this wreckage of the past and be able to live a normal life that she intended to live,” Mattox said.
The investigation began in November 2020 when the Escambia County School District contacted FDLE to report unauthorized access into hundreds of student accounts. Their investigation found that Carroll, an assistant principal at Bellview Elementary School, and her daughter Grover, a student at Tate High School, had accessed student FOCUS accounts. Carroll had district level access to the school board’s FOCUS program which is the school district’s student information system. FOCUS users are required to change their password every 45 days and Carroll’s annual training for the “Staff Responsible Use of Guidelines for Technology” was up to date.
In October 2020, hundreds of votes for Tate High School’s Homecoming Court voting were flagged as fraudulent, with 117 votes originating from the same IP address within a short period of time. FDLE said agents uncovered evidence of unauthorized access to FOCUS linked to Carroll’s cellphone as well as computers associated with their residence, with a total of 246 votes cast for the homecoming court. Multiple students reported that Grover described using her mother’s FOCUS account to cast votes. The investigation also found that beginning August 2019, Carroll’s FOCUS account accessed 372 high school records and 339 of those were of Tate High School students.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Comments
58 Responses to “Former Tate Homecoming Queen Intends To Sue Following Vote Scandal”
You are only hurting your mother’s case by bringing this up the week of your mother’s trial. Smart move. Not.. Give it a rest. You screwed up. Own it.
man, why are so many lawyers just horrible people
Janice, the parties being sued are government entities, which are always funded by taxpayers. Civic 101.
Being caught stealing can certainly cause emotional distress. Some even condemn you.
It seems the pretrial diversion may have been premature. If she lost a scholarship she had gained from stealing…. GIVE IT BACK! GIVE IT BACK!!….what good is stealing?
David for better people
Just a spoiled brat who learned absolutely nothing..oh but she will..she has now opened a can of worms she can not close if she follows through with a lawsuit because then every single evidentiary thing they found in order to charge her with a crime will come to light..grow up honey the big bad world owes you nothing.
This case isn’t about someone’s Civil Rights being violated. This case is about $$$$.
Marie Mattox understands the Escambia County School board will settle out of court before becoming involved in a costly prolonged legal battle. Not only that, they may issue a formal apology for expelling Grover. The FDLE not contacting the election management company does not constitute a violation of her Civil Rights. Prosecutors felt they had enough evidence from the accessors ISP address and the number of times the system was accessed through it. Couple that with first hand admissions from Grover and her fate was sealed.
This young woman violated the privacy laws of her classmates when she signed into their private accounts in FOCUS and made that worse by showing her friends how easy it was to access All data on any student in the Esc Co School District.
With her Mother’s willingness to show this girl what Wonderful Friends they are she could have changed grades for report cards and discipline records to “help” or “harm” her classmates or any other kid in any school.
Have the Students and Parents that she viewed or effected their records been informed of this invasion of privacy?
Seems there coulld be some Federal charges pending against this Homecoming Trainwreck.
What a mess this girl has caused.
I wonder if there’s an attorney who would represent all the students who are being called to trial because their privacy was violated. And the added stress of going to court to defend there rights. Not to mention the time they are missing from school, college or work to defend their privacy.
@ Mike Langford…she has to admit to the crime she was accused of in order to be put in pre trial diversion. They had to have enough on her to charge both mother and daughter. Daughter took a plea agreement and the mother probably will as well. This is a young lady who thinks she’s entitled to sue when she needs to kick her wounds and go on with her life. SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AN EXAMPLE OF as should her mother. I can see that she’s young and allowed her stupidity to shine and had she have done her PTD and moved on she could lead as normal life as possible. Now they will drag up all the past and it’s going to do more damage to her pitiful mess. She caused this all because we all know she couldn’t win that plastic crown on her own. This is a sad story that she should have let the embers of the flames she lit die out…
The Queen didn’t turn down PTI which is a contract with the State. State Attorney will require you to do things you may not want to do, like community service hours, fines, written letters of apology, etc. They will also make you waive your right to a speedy trial and the statute of limitations defense.
Would like to know the attorneys name that suggested her civil rights were violated.
@Steve, her and her lawyer claim little evidence. If she was not guilty, why did she agree to the pre-trial diversion? Why didn’t she let the courts decide? I believe part of these deals is you admit guilt, and then do whatever the court deems necessary. Just because the charges are dismissed doesn’t mean you didn’t do it.
An opportunistic attorney and a spoiled Drama Queen! How long until the Lifetime movie comes out? The best thing this young lady can do for herself is move out of town, take an alias and just move on with her life. She obviously has learned nothing from this experience and probably won’t, for a long time to come.
My reaction when this first occurred was, she is young and made a mistake, we all have. But to commit a crime, get pre-trial diversion, then have the audacity to file a law suit for a crime you could have went to jail for, my sympathy ends. You are lucky you aren’t in jail. Unbelievable!!
Sweetheart you caused that emotional distress by your own stupidity!!
The Student Information System Focus contains all the information for every student at Escambia County School District. This information includes IAP (Individual Academic Program), grades, medical records (including mental health), discipline records, and everything else regarding students. It is my understanding the security of this system was breached by the mother sharing login information. This is deliberate, intentional and premeditated by the mother. The system requires a password change on a regular basis. Evidently every time the mother changed her login credentials she shared it with the daughter. This type of breach is due to “human engineering” and may only be prevented by biological authentication.
The victims are the students whose privacy was violated by the mother and daughter. I do not understand why the mother and daughter are not facing federal charges since some information is protected by federal statutes. Furthermore, the students privacy was violated and should have standing for a lawsuit at the state/federal level. I am not a lawyer but I do understand the severity of the mother and daughters actions.
As if this hasn’t cost the average tax payer enough already. I’m sure mom will sue, too, and we foot the bill if they win. Just be big girls and apologize and stop working the system. You are costing us a lot of money and disappointing us in general.
I hope this was sarcasm… Posted by Concave Point – “I can’t believe such a terrible thing happened to such an honest and fair minded young lady.”
She’s not using her head. This would have been a foggy memory in a short while for most people and she could get on with her life. Now all the facts and the depth of her involvement will be brought to light, and any sympathy she may have gotten will be gone. Pre trial diversion, no felonies and no charges, and now suing? I don’t know any of these people but if I had to bet I’d say she will live to regret this, We’ll see.
She put her civil rights on the line. She needs to grow up and take responsibility for putting herself in this situation. Shame on any parent who teaches their kids to lie, cheat or steal.
I glad this has never happened to your child- you would have to believe you are still innocent to proven guilty! Not in this case – just because you are accused of something doesn’t mean you actually did. If you believe this punishment for what she did deserves this punishment you really need some help!!
I think all the kids who she looked at their personal information is a victim and should launch a law suit directed at her and her mother for the suffering they have endured, they have had the personal information looked at by people who either had no legal lawful right to do so or for no legitimate purpose in the course of work.
What a piece of work. Maybe the people she cheated out of a clean election should sue her.
She couldn’t win on her own so she and her mother cheated and got caught, and they are paying the consequences. So no lesson has been learned, she now wants tax payer money to support her and her bad decisions. Hmmmm entitlement? Can’t do it on my own unless cheating and lying are involved.
Solution here is any money awarded should go to the runner up and the KING afor being associated with this WRONG DOER!!!!
Her college rescinded? Oh well. If she cheated in college she would be kicked out. She and her mother made this bed.
This woman’s mark in THS history has become an ink blot. Stripped of her title and expelled, what a way to finish high school. She lost her scholarship(s) and the free ride they represented. Now she and her ambulance chaser seek to profit from this debacle. The ink blot I mentioned keeps getting bigger. I hope she is counter sued for her legal moves. This woman is morally corrupt.
Sue?? She should consider herself lucky that she was let off scott free!!!!!!
conduct unbecoming, gonna ruin her chances of getting that job in the mall at hotdog on a stick…
getting plasters everywhere is enough ? time served dismiss this case and let’s move on.
I hope she wins.. Arresting someone and putting them thru all this with little evidence is what I dont like. Have a case or leave them alone. But to arrest her with thin to no evience with the threat to put someone in jail over something that was not criminal
Maybe y’all should be talking to tate students! She wasn’t a nice girl! She bragged about how she could see and access focus. But because she’s popular teachers didn’t care! That’s how it is in high school. And to add to that focus has everything. Address and IEP information it’s not just our grades. Play stupid games win stupid prizes! You wanted to be queen and miss popular? Congrats ur face is plastered all over the news in the crown!!
She hasn’t learned anything about being honest.
She is still out to get something that she clearly doesn’t deserve.
All she needed to do is own up what she and her
Mother did. She would have probably had a better chance at regaining
her life back, but she blew that when she started this lawsuit.
She hasn’t learned from her mistakes therefore this will stick with her through out
her life. She is a cheater, pure and simple, a cheater.
Princess Swindler can’t get enough press. Once the Imposter Home Coming Queen, she won’t stop until she is crowned Drama Queen. Shame on the weak, lazy DA that let her off.
@ Molino Resident
How would you know how its being funded ,Karen!
It is allegedly said that an attorney had been involved with talking her into filing another suit with a lot of promises.
She did not just sit up in bed one night and say “what an epiphany ” I’ll file a lawsuit.
Fact!
Adults leading this child down the primrose lane again.
The alleged attorney is a trafficker in the realms of money and promises.
My opinion. He will get $$$ she will lose the case.
He already knows this.
I dont care if she is innocent or guilty.
Its the dog and pony show now going on with promises that are naught.
This is unbelievable. Not only could she not win legally so she stole the title from the young lady who would have won but, now she feels her civil rights were violated. Just like all fraudsters you made headlines! You are no better than any other person who commits a crime! Try to find a corner and give people a chance to forget the horrible thing you did to your classmates and peers. People will forgive you but, the you make it hard for them for sure playing the I was mistreated act. Every parent who had a child in this should get together and bring civil cases against you and your mother. Aren’t you the least bit embarrassed? As Elsa says, Let It Go and stop being a cry baby just because you got caught in your dirty deed.
As long as it’s ALL ABOUT EMILY and making her stay in the news and people’s conversations she’s still The QUEEN…
She’s gone to rehab and had her day in the sun so time for her to find a job and go to work earning an honest living and life.
What a sad waste for this young woman.
If she was so innocent, then why didn’t she fight it in court (trial)?
they will probably settle out of court. Need to counter sue for expences, to the tax payers.
College acceptance rescinded? There’s always trade schools, am I right? Make an honest living, sweetheart. Maybe you’ll think twice about cheating in life to get what you want. Time to deal with the consequences of YOUR actions. Own it.
“Mattox said because of the accusations,” ACCUSATIONS? Yep people, it was the fake news and corrupt law enforcement’s fault.. Sound familiar?
People can sue all they want but if they are actually guilty they pay the price one way or another.
She was a moron then and a moron now. The only person making money will be her attorney. She’ll loss bigly….
You will always have a dark cloud hanging over you as long as you think yourself to be a victim of society. Get up and move along with your life and stop trying to get something of value without having to pay for it. Don’t play the victim card.
Sad part is, she’ll probably win. Then our tax dollars can go towards paying her a large sum of money for something that she did to herself. Got to love our “justice” system.
“Multiple students reported that Grover described using her mother’s FOCUS account to cast votes.”
If the FDLE has sworn statements from multiple students that she bragged about being involved in the scandal, I am a little confused how the FDLE could have violated her Civil Rights. It is not like they charged her with something without evidence.
Nice try you little snowflake. Remember this ,,, there is a thug in jail in Russia right now and she says she didn’t do anything wrong either.
Apparently her attorney Mrs Marie Mattox don’t think FRAUD is illegal.
Grover’s attorney, Marie Mattox, told our news partners at WEAR 3 that Grover did nothing criminal.
Apparently she had to go to Tallahassee to find a attorney that would take the case. We have town full of great attorneys but no one here would take this ridiculous case.
PLAY STUPID GAMES WIN STUPID PRIZES!!!!!
Those without sin cast the first stone. We all know they did wrong. I do not condone their actions, but I do forgive them. What I want to tell them is to repent and sin no more.
She’s already took a plea deal so how can she sue? Others at Tate have admitted how this girl bragged about getting on her mommas account and checked information about her stuff as well as her friends. They have the proof the votes came from a particular IP address which was connected to this family. You did the crime now be an adult and take your consequences of your actions and move on…bottom line is YOU CHEATED! You cheated the system. You cheated the other girls in the HC Court(and the real winner) and you cheated yourself out of a promising future.
Please! Queen, you are the one who started this and put yourself in the limelight!
Let’s see if you take any responsibility for your actions. I couldn’t believe you got off completely. You did damage to others as well…..maybe they will sue you.
My vote, which I will cast myself, is a lesson in responsibility, accountability and humility.
What is her standing in the law suit?
Didn’t she create her own “black cloud.”
They should have prosecuted this FAKE Queen to the fullest extent and ended this part of the story. Now we get DRAMA Queen.
Don’t cheat and they complain about the consequences when you get caught.
poor baby. she caused her own problems by cheating and now wants to sue the school district. i don’t see this suit going too far. she needs to just live with the fact she got caught cheating and move on.
Good luck darling. This only shows a true lack of remorse and puts you behind further in life. There’s no escaping your past now!
It is true you can sue for anything even when you win something thru ill-gotten gains. This child had won the election thru fraud which is going on trial this month. If anyone’s rights were violated it was to student body of Tate Highschool by her and her mother. In order to get a diversion program thru the courts you have to admit fault which she did. If any suit it should be against her mother.
I can’t believe such a terrible thing happened to such an honest and fair minded young lady.
Welcome to America, commit a crime, get pretrial diversion to stay out of jail. Then sue everyone involved for your distress for committing said crime. People like this play good victims.