Judge Kathleen Ryan, a White Michigan judge, has been temporarily removed from her position after audio recordings revealed her making racist and homophobic remarks.
The recordings, which surfaced after being shared by her colleague Edward Hutton, an Oakland County Probate Court Administrator, captured Ryan referring to herself as a “new racist” and making derogatory comments about Black Americans and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Hutton, who says he endured years of harassment from Judge Ryan, decided to start recording their conversations to expose her extreme views. In one of the recorded calls, Ryan referred to Black Americans as “lazy pieces of sht” and made homophobic slurs towards other officials, stating, “You little f.”
Ryan’s comments included statements like, “If you’re an American Black person, then you’re a f*** lazy piece of sh*t.” She further claimed she had become a “new racist” due to what she saw as unfounded accusations of racism: “I never was [racist], but now I am because you’re shoving this s down my throat.”
Hutton, who has not filed a lawsuit, says his motivation for coming forward is to ensure that someone with such views is not in a position to make life-altering decisions in a courtroom.
“Nobody with that much hate in their heart for certain people…could possibly make fair, unbiased decisions regarding them,” he said.
As of now, Ryan has been suspended from her judicial duties pending an investigation into her conduct.
