Apopka Commissioner Nadia Anderson made an impassioned plea from the dais during the latest City Council meeting for residents to stop harassing her family and her.
Near the end of the meeting when commissioners have the opportunity to give individual reports, Anderson, elected in March 2024, said she could no longer remain silent because of safety concerns. She referred to “stalking,” “harassment” and “threats on my life.”
“Most recently there have been some social media posts that were sent to my daughter that caused my daughter and I to go into hiding,” she said. “A few weeks ago there have been several cars circulating my residence — I had to relocate and move three times.”
Anderson did not offer specifics regarding violent threats during her remarks, but when the Sentinel asked her later for examples she forwarded a text from an Apopka resident saying she wanted to “bitch-slap” Anderson.
Anderson has been subjected to a steady stream of political attacks online beginning with her campaign, many centered on a dispute over whether she met city residency requirements at the time she filed to run. Last month that dispute became the subject of a lawsuit against her.
Anderson said she would work with the Apopka Police Department and Orange County courts to ensure the safety of her daughter, and City Administrator Radley Williams said Wednesday that it is his understanding she has discussed the matter with police.
Politics in Apopka, Orange County’s second largest city, tend to be fractious and few-holds-barred, but even in that context Anderson’s comments were unusual.
In her remarks at the council meeting, she said that last Christmas her daughter, who’s now 11, was riding her scooter outside their house when she suddenly ran in and told her there was someone sitting outside watching her.
“What will not be tolerated is stalking, harassment, threats on my life, threats to drown me, pictures of my daughter circulating,” she said. “If I fear any type of attempt on my daughter’s life I’ll do whatever’s necessary to protect my daughter and myself.”
After her comments, Mayor Bryan Nelson told her it was “Well said commissioner” and Commissioner Nick Nesta said “I definitely take your daughter’s safety serious. So I’m really sorry to hear that.”
In an interview with the Sentinel since the meeting, Anderson said the harassment has been going on since she announced her council bid in late 2023. Anderson, who is Black, said she believes race is a factor in the attacks, although none of those viewed by the Sentinel made reference to her race.
She said she believes because the mayor supported her candidacy she gets flak from folks who dislike him.
Anderson identified the Facebook page Apopka Moles as a source of harassment and called it a “hate group.”
“They want me to quit, they want me to resign,” she said. “What they don’t realize is they’re not going to bully me out of this position.
“This is actually going to make me stand stronger. If it’s me this time and then next and then next year it’s going to be someone else. So this group must be stopped.”
Anderson also said she’s talking with the state attorney general’s office about her situation. An email Wednesday morning to the office asking about Anderson’s case was not returned.
The intro on the Apopka Moles Facebook page says it provides “News Information about Apopka Politics and Corruption & wrong doing. This page is opinion based on FACTS provided by credible SOURCES.”
The page run by Eddie Poirier includes regular posts about Anderson, referring to her as an “illegitimate commissioner” over questions about whether she met residency requirements when she filed to run. The page includes posts with images of records in the lawsuit against her filed over residency questions. Posts about Anderson found on the page go back to late 2023.
In an interview with the Sentinel, Poirier rejects the idea his page promotes hate and said “she got caught lying and she cheated” to get her seat on the council. He said he’s never contacted Anderson about anything.
“I do a lot of good things, but when people do bad things that I’m aware of I put that information out,” he said. “If the stuff wasn’t true why don’t they shut me down?”
A lawsuit filed Sept. 8 in Orange County Circuit Court by Apopka resident and attorney William McLeod asks a judge to determine if Anderson met the city’s residency requirement to run for her seat. A candidate must live within the city limits for at least one year before qualifying.
A motion to dismiss filed Monday argues the lawsuit should be tossed because McLeod did not include the city as a party to the suit, as is legally required.
