TAMPA, Fla. – A dismissed Hillsborough County legal case previously reported in Tampa Free Press has resurfaced as a federal lawsuit in Tampa’s U.S. District Court.
The lawsuit describes an alleged 20-year history of business sabotage, defamation, antisemitism, racism, and assault that led to the bankruptcy of a white Jewish disc jockey considered a “culture vulture” in the world of Black Hip-Hop music.
On October 26, Erik Mishiyev, known as “DJ Short-e,” sued WiLD 94.1 FM Black disc jockey and program director Orlando Davis and Davis’s employer, Beasley Media Group, headquartered in Naples.
BMG is a subsidiary of Beasley Broadcast Group, which owns over 60 radio stations in the U.S.
Mishiyev is demanding a trial by jury and $10 million from his suit’s defendants after a disappointing sprint in Hillsborough County’s Thirteenth Judicial Court.
The county judge dismissed Mishiyev’s original lawsuit as a legal complaint about mere “bantering,” which she believed was commonplace in the radio industry and permissible under Florida’s anti-SLAPP law.
But Mishiyev vehemently disagreed and filed an appeal that’s still pending.
He was also distraught that the judge refused to hear witnesses or review all documents and events through a discovery process. Beasley’s attorneys had requested the dismissal, and the judge also cited concerns about errors resulting from Mishiyev filing the case without an attorney.
Read: Judge Trashes Tampa Disc Jockey’s Alleged Anti-Semitic Business Sabotage Case
Mishiyev’s federal complaint claims the destruction of his DJ business began in 2004 when Davis got Mishiyev fired from Club Skye in Ybor City. The lawsuit states Davis lied to club management, claiming Mishiyev “used illicit drugs and that white boys should not be throwing Hip Hop parties.”
Beasley then held the contract with the club for nearly 20 years until Mishiyev threatened a lawsuit.
An affidavit from Eric Green in support of Mishiyev is part of the lawsuit.
Green is the founder of Boys 2 Men International, a non-profit organization of which Mishiyev serves on the Board of Directors.
The affidavit states Green met on December 18, 2020, with Gene Osteen, owner of Tampa’s Club Envy. Green states he was told by Osteen that “he liked DJ Short-e but it was a risk to hire him because of what Orlando Davis and Beasley media employees said to him on November 11, 2020, specifically about him being a cocaine user and he doesn’t want his business to be caught up in any bad publicity.”
Green also indicated he called Club Skye and was told by who answered, “Orlando would not want DJ Short-e playing there at all, not even on the days WiLD 94.1 FM wasn’t doing their live broadcast.”
An 18-year former Jewish employee of Beasley who worked with Davis stated to Mishiyev, “…Almost anyone who worked there witnessed him vowing to ruin you, so there’s lots of people your attorney can call believe me!”
Read: Alan Dershowitz: Are Anti-Israel Protests Protected By The First Amendment?
This woman is described in the lawsuit as one who, “after many years of turning down Mr. Davis’ sexual advances and enduring unprofessional comments and conduct from Mr. Davis, left her employment and is willing to provide testimony and evidence.”
The lawsuit also presents a social media text from a former Beasley traffic reporter who worked for Davis, who states, “HR didn’t do anything” after she complained that Davis and the radio station’s general manager poked fun of the Jewish employee even on Jewish holidays. The traffic reporter then states she was removed to Beasley’s space in the iHeart building.
The lawsuit states that a witness is available to testify that Davis threatened Mishiyev at the American Social Club on April 13, 2021. Believing Davis was stalking Mishiyev and confronting him as he was leaving the venue, the witness claims to have observed Davis poking fun at Mishiyev’s recently-filed pro-se lawsuit.
The suit states, “Mr. Davis then noticed that Mr. Mishiyev was wearing a Star of David Jewish symbol around his neck that night and lunged toward the Plaintiff aggressively and stated, ‘I’ll slap the sh-t out of your white Jewish a– right now, you will never get work in this town.'”
Security was allegedly called to prevent a physical altercation. Davis is also is accused of saying, “I don’t hire people like you at my station.”
Other witnesses and social media communications are contained in the suit.
Orlando Davis is sued on five counts of Defamation, Florida Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Assault, and Intentional Interference with Business. Beasley is sued for Negligent Supervision, Civil Rights Act of 1866 Violations, Florida Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices and Intentional Interference with Business Relations.
The Tampa Free Press contacted Davis at the radio station and asked if he wished to make any statement regarding the new federal lawsuit. Davis replied, “I am not aware of that.”
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