Judge tosses out lawsuit against Florida, Deloitte over website

TALLAHASSEE — A Leon circuit court judge has dismissed a potential class-action lawsuit against the state and Deloitte Consulting stemming from the meltdown of Florida’s online unemployment compensation system during the COVID19 pandemic.

Judge John Cooper, for the second time in less than six months, said plaintiffs could not overcome legal hurdles to pursue the case against the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and Deloitte, a contractor that helped put in place the CONNECT online system in 2013.

After dismissing the case in September, Cooper allowed the plaintiffs to file a revised version. But he wrote Monday that the “nature of the plaintiffs’ claims in the (revised version) are unchanged from their previous complaint; the clear constitutional defects and other deficiencies in those claims have not been addressed.” In part, Cooper wrote that the lawsuit is barred by the separation of powers between the judicial and executive branches of government.

Among other things, Cooper also cited sovereign immunity, which helps shield government agencies from lawsuits. He wrote that sovereign immunity also extended to Deloitte because it “acted at the state’s direction and control in assisting with the design and implementation of the CONNECT system.” The lawsuit was filed last spring after the

CONNECT system was overwhelmed by claims from people who lost jobs as the pandemic forced business closures. It sought damages and raised several arguments, including that the department and Deloitte were negligent and breached a fiduciary duty. Cooper last month held a hearing on motions by the department and Deloitte to dismiss the case and issued his rulings Monday shortly before Deloitte officials went before a Senate committee to discuss the company’s role with the system. The ruling also came after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office released a report Thursday by Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel that pointed to longstanding problems with the system that had gone unaddressed.

“The Flintstones” seems prehistoric.

When Bedrock landed in prime time in the 1960s, cartoons were primarily directed at kids with occasional winks to grown-ups. They were a yabba-dabba-doo time for the entire family. Then came Cartman. After “South Park” debuted on Comedy Central in 1997, animated series began competing to see who could deliver the greatest shocks to the system. “BoJack Horseman” and “Family Guy” patriarch Peter Griffin made Homer Simpson look as harmless as Barney Rubble.

“The Great North” bucks the trend.

The series, airing at 8:30 p.m. ET Sundays on Fox, features an off-the-grid clan in Alaska who do everything together — inhale pancakes, go curling, hunt moose — without ever whining about needing space.

They’re so tight that the father (Nick Offerman, offering a kinder and gentler version of his “Parks and Recreation” character) balks when his oldest son plans to move out of the main house and into a cabin in the backyard. The most offensive thing they do in each other’s presence is pass gas.

Jenny Slate is well acquainted with more adult cartoons. For several seasons, she provided a voice for “Big Mouth,” a brilliant but disturbing Netflix series about conflicted kids who spend every free moment searching for novel ways to pleasure themselves.

“There’s this edgy thing where you can end up trying to come up with the grossest thing you can imagine,” said Slate, who plays Judy on “The Great North,” a teenager whose idea of a rebellious act is getting a part-time job at the

The Tobins of“The Great North”: Wolf (Will Forte), from left, Honeybee (Dulcé Sloan), Beef (Nick Offerman), Judy (Jenny Slate), Ham (Paul Rust) and Moon (Aparna Nancherla). mall. Grammy winner, who is playing

“There’s still major stuff herself. “I have a 10-yearold that happens on our show,” son, so that’s a lot of what said Slate in a recent virtual we do. It’s nice to be on a show news conference. “The mom that’s so kind, run by deeply has left the whole family and soulful women.” they’re kind of traumatized by The bosses she’s referring to it. They live in an inhospitable are sisters Wendy Molyneux environment. But there’s no and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, bitterness.” who work one floor up from

One bit of casting that will the office of “Bob’s Burgers,” appeal to an older generation for which they earned is Alanis Morissette as Judy’s an Emmy in 2017. “Burgers,” spiritual guide. which airs immediately after

“I personally watch a lot “North,” is another series in of animated shows,” said the which sweetness is the not-so secret ingredient.

“We are still a network show, so we have to work within the box of standards and practices,” Wendy Molyneux said. “It’s a fun challenge, finding ways to be creative with limitations. But doing a show about loving each other and getting along is our little bit of utopia. I love to watch edgy shows, but I think if I had to write that sort of dark material every day, it might bring me down.”