NY judge accused of making racist, anti-gay remarks in court

[The Bobster]

NY judge accused of making racist, anti-gay remarks in court

A since-suspended Brooklyn judge allegedly made appalling racist and homophobic comments about others while on the job, new court papers claim.

nypost.com

NY judge accused of making racist, anti-gay remarks in court​

By
Priscilla DeGregory


September 12, 2022 6:08pm
Updated









Today's Video Headlines: 9/12/22



0:00
/
0:58








A New York judge allegedly made vile bigoted remarks while on the job — including saying homosexuality is an “abomination,” claiming Hispanic people have “deceitful traits” and accusing her colleagues of sleeping their way to the top, new court papers claim.
Brooklyn Surrogate’s Court Judge Harriet Thompson was suspended with pay in December 2021 after the Inspector General for the state courts “substantiated” misconduct claims against her, according to the filing.
The IG found that Thompson called four other judges “gay racist f—-ts” who were “all f—king each other” and “trying to ruin me and get me,” according to the papers filed by the Office of Court Administration as it seeks to uphold the suspension.
“I hate these gay white men … being gay is an abomination to mankind,” Thompson, who was elected to a 14-year term in 2018, allegedly said of other judges.
Brooklyn Surrogate’s judge allegedly made homophobic and racist comments about people while in court.Judge Harriet Thompson.jpg
The OCA’s court papers lay out dozens of other homophobic, racist or otherwise inappropriate and offensive comments that Thompson allegedly made before she was benched by New York Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks.

00:01 01:03
“A lot of the judges are jealous of me because I’m smart, whereas these other judges had to sleep with and f–k other people to get where they’re at,” the court papers claim Thompson said.


Thompson, who made $210,900 in 2021, according to SeeThroughNY, also allegedly said that she didn’t like Hispanic people, accusing them of being liars.


“I do not like Hispanic people. They have a deceitful trait that goes way back to biblical times,” the court papers allege she said.


The OCA claimed Thompson said “that whenever she has a case involving a litigant with a Hispanic sounding name, she ‘assumed the litigant was a liar.'”

Thompson filed suit earlier this year to overturn her suspension, which she claims was unlawful.Google Maps
She was also accused of demeaning court workers’ looks, swearing repeatedly and using racist and anti-gay slurs.


The appalling comments included once saying a gay judge was “fat now, from all of the evil of what he’s doing” and criticizing a black judge for having blond hair, the OCA claimed.


She also allegedly called a black judge “a house n—-r … and a puppet for the white man.”


Thompson, who previously served as a civil judge starting in 2011 for a 10-year term, allegedly once said that a female court employee “is a prostitute … I think her boyfriend is pimping her.”


She filed suit in April arguing that Marks and OCA wrongfully suspended her – without giving her the opportunity to defend herself.


Thompson also claimed that false accusations were made against her by a disgruntled court employee whom she had barred from her cases for alleged misconduct.


In December, the IG referred Thompson’s case to New York’s Commission on Judicial Conduct – the body responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct against judges and making disciplinary recommendations once their probes are concluded. The CJC’s investigations are confidential.


But since the CJC’s investigations can take at least two years, Marks “determined that it would not be appropriate for [Thompson] to continue to preside over judicial matters for the duration of the Commission’s investigation,” the court papers say.





Thompson’s lawyer, Matthew Berman, told The Post: “The judge denies all of the allegations that are asserted against her.”


Courts spokesman Lucian Chalfen told The Post: “Our position is clearly enunciated in our filings. Any further comment will be in court.”

 

[The Bobster]

NY judge accused of making racist, anti-gay remarks agrees to step down

A New York judge who was accused of making racist and anti-gay remarks has agreed to step down as a judge citing a disability, officials announced Monday.

nypost.com

NY judge accused of making racist, anti-gay remarks agrees to step down​

By
Priscilla DeGregory


January 9, 2023 3:22pm
Updated






A New York judge who was accused of making vile racist and anti-gay remarks has agreed to step down — claiming a shoulder injury has left her unable to fight misconduct allegations, The Post has learned.
Brooklyn Surrogate’s Court Judge Harriet Thompson — who faced charges for alleged biased and “inappropriate comments” toward co-workers — on Friday agreed to retire effective March 1 and never again seek office as a judge, according to the state Commission on Judicial Conduct (CJC).
Thompson, who was paid a $210,900 yearly salary, was accused of saying that homosexuality is an “abomination,” claiming that Hispanic people have “deceitful traits” and called four other judges “gay racist f—-ts” who were “all f–king each other.”
The Office of Court Administration suspended Thompson — a Surrogate Court judge since 2019 who previously served as a civil court judge — in December 2021 after the inspector general for the state courts “substantiated” misconduct claims against her.
Brooklyn Surrogate’s Court Judge Harriet Thompson has agreed to resign, citing health problems, amid misconduct charges.Kings County Surrogate Court
The CJC then charged Thompson in May 2022 in a case alleging bias and inappropriate comments.
The case also included charges of failing to carry out her court duties in a timely manner, causing substantial delays and failing “to complete mandatory campaign ethics education in a timely manner,” the CJC papers show.
Thompson was supposed to face a formal CJC hearing on Jan. 17 — but turned in her letter of resignation. She will be allowed to keep her judicial pension.
Thompson was previously accused of making anti-gay and racist remarks.New York Courts
Thompson in November had sent the commission a doctor’s letter that said she is “not medically fit to stand trial” due to a disability and would likely have further medical procedures, CJC papers show.
The commission then on Dec. 16 filed another complaint accusing Thompson of being medically unfit for office.
Thompson’s lawyer Andrew Fisher told The Post that Thompson has a shoulder injury that requires surgery and, “Because of the pain she endures she takes some medication which would interfere with her ability to participate in the defense against the charges that have been made.”
The lawyer maintained that if Thompson weren’t injured, she would have fought the CJC claims.
Thompson’s lawyer says she has a shoulder injury that requires another surgery and she takes medicine that would have interfered with her defense.Handout
“Had Judge Thompson not developed some disabling illness, she would have vigorously defended herself, but found that it was an impossible thing to do at this point,” Fisher said. “It should be noted that there are no findings of wrongdoing that have been entered against her.”
“She leaves, hopefully, with her reputation intact,” the lawyer said.
CJC Administrator Robert Tembeckjian said the case against Thompson “was egregious and, if established at trial, would have warranted her removal from office.”
[IMG alt="Judge Harriet Thompson.
"]https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/brooklyn-judge-steps-down-bias-misconduct-02.jpg?w=1024[/IMG]Thompson was charged with misconduct by the Commission on Judicial Conduct in May 2022.YouTube / Brooklyn Borough President



“She now claims a medical condition prevents her from performing judicial duties, which opens a different path in furtherance of the public interest for her immediate and permanent departure from the bench,” Tembeckjian said.


Thompson has also agreed to drop any litigation against the CJC.