FORT LAUDERDALE — Republican gubernatorial candidate & fraudster James Fishback is facing a small claims lawsuit in Broward County alleging he and his debate organization failed to pay $8,000 in scholarship money owed to a former high school debate champion.
Briana Vanessa Whatley filed the suit July 27 against Fishback and Incubate Foundation Inc., which does business as Incubate Debate. The complaint seeks the remaining balance of an $11,000 scholarship package Whatley says she earned in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, plus interest, court costs and attorney’s fees.
According to the lawsuit, Whatley won $500 as Incubate South Incubator of the Year, another $500 as the 2024 Incubate Fall Southeast Champion, and $10,000 for winning the 2024 Incubate Debate National Championship. An award letter dated March 28, 2023, from the program’s director stated the money would be paid “on the day of your high school graduation.”
Whatley graduated May 30, 2025. The suit alleges she emailed the organization twice in June 2025 seeking payment and received no response. After she retained an attorney, Fishback texted her that scholarships above $10,000 “are paid out in semester increments” and that this had “always been the case.” The original award letter contains no such language, the complaint states.
Fishback told Florida’s Voice the unpaid balance was “an oversight on our part” and that “we are fixing it.” In a text, he also said he did not write the award letter, had not seen it until the attorney provided it, and that the employee who wrote it “was fired from Incubate Debate.”
Fishback and the foundation have been summoned to appear at a pretrial conference at 10 a.m. Sept. 9. Court documents state the case will not be tried at that time and that the parties must appear in person or by attorney.
Fishback, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, founded Incubate Debate, which offers free tournaments for students. He has frequently highlighted the program in his campaign materials.
As reported by VINnews