A Michigan judge was recently removed from her docket after she was allegedly recorded by a court official making insulting statements about gay and Black people.
Oakland County Probate Judge Kathleen Ryan is temporarily barred from handling cases following a scandal that court administrator Edward Hutton brought to light. Chief Probate Judge Linda Hallmark removed Ryan from her docket on August 27, saying that “a complaint regarding internal allegations of unprofessional conduct” was sent to the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission, a judiciary watchdog group.
Hutton, who said he’s been harassed by Ryan for years, secretly recorded the judge insulting marginalized people and shared those recordings with Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, Oakland County Executive David Coulter, other public officials and local news outlet WXYZ.
In one of the audio recordings, Ryan can allegedly be heard saying: “From England, if you’re a Black from any other country—you’re doing way better. If you’re an American Black person then you’re a f****** lazy piece of s***.”
Ryan also allegedly called herself “a new racist” in another recording.
This stock image shows a gavel in a courtroom. A Michigan judge was recently removed from her docket after she was allegedly recorded by a court official making insulting statements about gay and Black people.
Michał Chodyra via Getty Images
“I can honestly say that okay. I’m not systemically racist. I’m a new racist. I never was, but now I am because you’re shoving this s*** down my throat making allegations that you don’t know s*** about. You’re telling me who I am and you’ve never even f****** met me. F*** you!” Ryan allegedly said.
She also allegedly used gay slurs about other elected officials, saying in one audio clip, “You little f*****.”
Ryan’s attorneys Gerald Gleeson and Thomas Cranmer told WXYZ: “We respect the authority of the Michigan Supreme Court. However, we look forward to vindicating Judge Ryan in the appropriate forum.”
Hutton believes Ryan cannot serve in her role, which includes handling cases involving people with developmental disabilities and people in need of mental health services.
“Nobody with that much hate in their heart for certain people—not just individuals, but groups of people. I don’t believe that they could possibly make fair, unbiased decisions regarding them,” Hutton said.
Coulter said in a statement that “there is absolutely no place for harassment of any kind or for racist or homophobic language by anyone at Oakland County, especially by someone the public must be confident will act fairly and impartially.”
“The alleged conduct and abhorrent comments made by Judge Ryan merited her removal from the Probate Court docket pending further investigation,” he continued. “I have confidence that the agencies reviewing this matter will treat it with the seriousness it deserves and will take further action if warranted.”
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
