The Brief
An Orlando couple received probation after chasing, harassing, and using racial slurs against a solar panel salesman.
State officials emphasized that verbal hate attacks combined with physical threats cross into illegal criminal activity.
The victim reported ongoing trauma and anxiety, expressing concern for his safety following the court’s sentencing decision.
ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando couple has been sentenced to probation after shouting racial slurs and chasing down a door-to-door solar salesman.
The hate speech
The backstory
A judge sentenced Steven Wiley and Cheryl Pyle to probation following an assault conviction in Orlando, according to the State Attorney’s Office for the 9th Judicial Circuit. Solar salesman Antavis Johnson reported that he was working his neighborhood route when the couple confronted him at their home with slurs and hostility.
In a one-on-one interview with FOX 35, Johnson said he was fearful for his life at the time.
Prosecutors originally requested jail time for the assault on Johnson, but the judge chose probation instead.
Johnson stated that he does not feel safe with the couple out of jail, adding, “I still have to live with this trauma from having PTSD, bad anxiety breakouts.”
The couple’s defense
What they’re saying
The State Attorney’s Office said the couple tried to argue their actions were protected by free speech laws.
Cheryl Pyle and Steven Wiley were charged with assault in connection to a July 2025 verbal fight with a Florida salesman.
State Attorney Monique Worrell explained, “In this case, these defendants not only used offensive language, but they chased him, they followed him, and they threatened bodily harm, putting him in fear for his safety. That’s crossing the line. That’s hate speech, and that’s a crime.”
Hate Crimes Task Force
What’s next
The State Attorney’s Office investigated the case with help from its new Hate Crimes Task Force, a program funded through a federal grant and focused on restorative justice. Worrell noted that “verbal attacks rooted in hate and prejudice can escalate into threats, intimidation, and ultimately into physical violence.”
The State Attorney’s Office is now maintaining a database of hate crime reports alongside the Peace and Justice Institute to track incidents and inform the public about what constitutes a hate crime.
Separate battery charges
Wiley and Pyle are also accused of beating Pyle’s stepmother and leaving her with face bruising and cuts along her arm. The couple is scheduled for a court hearing in that case next Thursday.
The Source
The information in this story was gathered from FOX 35 reporter Marie Edinger, raw video interviews, and statements provided by State Attorney Monique Worrell and hate speech victim Antavis Johnson.
Source: www.yahoo.com
