CLEARWATER, Fla. — The discovery of more than 300 graves from an erased Black cemetery property on the FrankCrum staffing firm along Missouri Avenue has prompted a lawsuit from the company against the city of Clearwater for the removal of the remains.
The lawsuit, filed in the Pinellas County Circuit Court on Sept. 29, says it seeks to "recover damages for the local government’s failure to take accountability for mishandling a historic African-American cemetery."
In 2019, long-time residents of Clearwater's Black community came forward to the NAACP with memories of the St. Matthews Baptist Church cemetery and concerns that graves might still be on-site at FrankCrum, which sits atop where the cemetery was once located.
Between 2020 and 2022, archaeologists used ground-penetrating radar and archaeological digs to confirm 328 graves. They believe there are more.
“Since we first became aware of the potential that graves were still on this land, FrankCrum has been working closely with our local community members, the NAACP and the City to find a resolution that corrects this wrong and that honors the departed and their loved ones,” said Matt Crum, co-president of FrankCrum in an email statement.
The lawsuit says it seeks to have the remains “finally and respectfully” relocated.
It also cites a 1998 development agreement that states the property, “... does not presently include human remains from any cemetery; notwithstanding the fact that the Global Center Site at one time did include a cemetery site, such cemetery has been previously transferred from the Global Center Site and all human remains associated therewith have also been so transferred.”
10 Investigates has reached out to the city of Clearwater for a response. A spokesperson said in a statement, "We continue to work in partnership with the NAACP, descendants of the buried and community members to move forward with a memorial in the North Greenwood community to honor the loved ones at the school burial site as well as those at the FrankCrum site. The city of Clearwater has hired the firm of GrayRobinson to represent us in the FrankCrum litigation and we will not be commenting further on that pending litigation."
Emerald Morrow is an investigative reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. Like her on Facebook and follow her on X. You can also email her at emorrow@10tampabay.com.