Sandy MaloneColumbia, SC – The South Carolina Supreme Court suspended the law license of an attorney who posted nasty things on social media about George Floyd, shortly after he died as he was being arrested by the Minneapolis police.
The investigation into David Paul Traywick began in June of 2020 after the South Carolina Supreme Court’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) received 46 complaints about the attorney’s Facebook posts, The State reported.
The justices said in their unanimous ruling on June 18 that Traywick had identified himself as an attorney and referenced his law firm in the troubling posts.
The opinion said that ODC found 12 of Traywick’s Facebook posts that “tended to bring the legal profession into disrepute” and violated the Lawyer’s Oath requiring attorneys to “maintain the dignity of the legal system,” The State reported.
“All 12 of [Traywick’s] statements are troubling,” the justices wrote, but then they singled out the two they felt were the most concerning.
The court said Traywick posted an “offensive comment” about tattoos and women on April 5, 2020, The State reported.
“In the comment, he challenged his readers, ‘Prove me wrong. Pro tip: you can’t,’” the opinion read. “A reader wrote back suggesting [Traywick] prove he was right regarding his theory about tattoos.”
The opinion said the attorney replied that what he said about tattoos “has exceptions, such as for bikers, sailors, convicts or infantry. But these college-educated, liberal suburbanites. No, the rule was written for these boring MF’s. And they are everywhere. F ‘em. Especially these females, Jesus Christ!”
Traywick published his most-problematic post on June 3, 2020, nine days Floyd died as he was being arrested by now-former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, according to The State.
“Here’s how much that s–tstain’s life actually mattered: Stock futures up. Markets moved higher Monday and Tuesday. F–k you. Unfriend me,” Traywick posted to Facebook.
Do your thing Twitter! This is David P. Traywick. A Charleston, SC “personal injury” attorney at Traywick Law Offices. His own brother has said he is racist, sexist, and homophobic. Not the kind of attorney you want helping anyone. #exposeracists #BlackLivesMatter #BLM pic.twitter.com/kG9RQ6OZCr
— Dr. Marissa (@BravoMarissa23) June 5, 2020
South Carolina’s highest court called Traywick’s statements on social media “expressly incendiary” and said they were “intended to incite and had the effect of inciting, gender and race-based conflict beyond the scope of the conversation Respondent would otherwise have with his Facebook ‘friends,’” The State reported.
“We find this statement was intended to incite intensified racial conflict not only in Respondent’s Facebook community, but also in the broader community of Charleston and beyond,” the justices opined.
“We hold this statement in particular tended to bring the legal profession into disrepute, violated the letter and spirit of the Lawyer’s Oath, and constitutes grounds for discipline,” the four-page opinion read.
The justices said in their opinion that Traywick had admitted to the misconduct and agreed to a six-month suspension, The State reported.
Traywick will also be responsible for the costs of the investigation into his misconduct.
He was ordered to take a diversity class and to have an anger management assessment conducted by a licensed therapist during his suspension in order ultimately get his law license back, The State reported.
The justices required Traywick to report the results of the anger management assessment and that of any other mental health professionals, and their recommendations, to the state’s Commission on Lawyer Conduct, the entity charged with investigation allegations of attorneys’ misconduct or impaired performance.
Holly Matkin
