HR Firm Files Lawsuit Alleging 300+ Graves Remain Buried Under FL Office Building
A Florida human resources firm, FrankCrum, is pursuing legal action against the City of Clearwater and the Clearwater Redevelopment Agency, alleging that more than 300 graves remain beneath its office building on South Missouri Avenue. The graves were originally discovered by archaeologists in 2022 following an investigation by an engineering company.
FrankCrum, which purchased the property in 2004, contends it was informed at the time of sale that any human remains previously buried at the site had been relocated. Archaeologists later determined that was not the case.
The 2022 investigation identified approximately 328 graves believed to be part of the former St. Matthews Baptist Church Cemetery, a historic African American burial ground. The site predates the redevelopment of the surrounding area.
Aileen Henderson, founder of the Cemetery Society, has said the number of burials could exceed current estimates, noting that the cemetery served the local Black community at a time when few nearby alternatives existed. “There’s a lot more bodies there than we think there are,” she told local news outlets, adding that no other Black cemeteries operated nearby, meaning members of the community would have been buried at the site.
FrankCrum alleges that when it acquired the property from the software firm Information Management Resources, it relied on representations that the cemetery had been cleared. The company now seeks damages and a court order requiring that the remains be relocated.
The city disputes liability. Officials have stated that the events in question occurred more than two decades ago and argue that the statute of limitations bars the claims. According to the city, more than $237,000 has been spent on litigation defense.
Local reports indicate that other cemeteries have been rediscovered beneath developed properties in the Tampa Bay region in recent years. The Cemetery Society has identified additional historically Black burial grounds found under buildings and other public and private properties.
The lawsuit also references House Bill 49, signed into law in 2023 by Governor Ron DeSantis. The measure places the Historic Cemeteries Program within the Division of Historical Resources and strengthens protections for abandoned and historic cemeteries across Florida, including African American burial grounds.
In recent proceedings, an appellate court ruled that the case may move forward, rejecting efforts to halt the lawsuit.
No trial date has been set.
