MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – The man who was assaulted and waterboarded by fellow members of the Marion County Fire Rescue team in a November 2025 incident that has been characterized as hazing that escalated out of control has reached a settlement with the county.
The incident occurred at the MCFR “Friendship Station,” Station #21, on November 16, 2025, when firefighters partially stripped 19-year-old victim Kayne Stuart, beat him with a belt and eventually waterboarded him while attempting to get access to a TikTok video Stuart had on his phone.
In the immediate wake of the incident, four firefighters directly involved were terminated; three pleaded guilty to battery in deals. According to a report by Fox 35 Orlando, a total of 10 individuals lost their jobs over the scandal.
Marion County does not discuss the particulars of settled civil cases, but Stuart reportedly received $100,000 in his workers compensation case, which generally deals directly and exclusively with injuries sustained on the job, and is said to be seeking employment with a different firefighting department.