Judge Kathleen Ryan Removed For Alleged Anti-Black Comments

In late August, Oakland County Probate Court Judge Kathleen Ryan was removed from her position after she was allegedly recorded on a phone call using anti-gay slurs and referring to Black Americans as “f****** lazy,” according to WXYZ-TV.

On Aug. 27, Chief Probate Judge Linda Hallmark removed Judge Ryan from her docket revealing that “a complaint regarding internal allegations of unprofessional conduct” was sent to the Judicial Tenure Commission, a state agency responsible for investigating allegations of judicial misconduct.

The decision followed quickly after Edward Hutton, Ryan’s head administrator, submitted the startling audio recordings to court officials. Hutton claimed that Judge Ryan had been calling him both during work hours and after hours for years, during which time Ryan allegedly made “highly inappropriate” remarks.

In one audio recording obtained by WXYZ-TV, Judge Ryan allegedly said, “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***.” She also allegedly referred to several gay elected officials as “little fa****.”

What does a probate judge do?

The alleged actions of Ryan are highly troubling given her responsibilities. Probate court judges responsible for overseeing legal matters related to the estates of deceased individuals. Their duties include validating wills to ensure they are executed according to the deceased’s wishes. They appoint executors or administrators to manage and distribute the deceased’s assets, either based on the will or, if there is no will, according to state laws. Additionally, probate judges handle cases involving guardianship and conservatorship, deciding who will manage the affairs of minors or incapacitated adults.

Source: Phanphen Kaewwannarat / Getty

Hutton claimed that he was a victim of Judge Ryan’s misconduct, too.

Hutton alleged that he had personally endured harassment from Ryan, who has served as the county probate judge for over 13 years. According to the report, on May 24, Hutton submitted a notice of sexual harassment to Chief Judge Linda Hallmark about complaints connected to Ryan’s alleged comments. However, his complaint went unaddressed for several months until he eventually provided the call recordings to her officials.

“She’s made it a living hell in the past six years. I mean, it’s been terrible,” Hutton shared. “It’s cost me relationships. I think it’s affected my health. Can’t sleep.” He added, “I just want to make it right … I want to keep my job and do it in peace. And I want the people in Oakland county that come to court to get a fair shake, to have their day in court, to have an unbiased trier of fact.”

Judge Ryan has not released a statement on her suspension, but her attornies, Gerald Gleeson and Thomas Cranmer, said, “We look forward to vindicating judge Ryan in the appropriate forum.”

RELATED CONTENT: ‘Basketball Wives’ Brittish Williams Taken Into U.S. Marshal’s Custody, Judge Revoked Her Bond