A Detroit judge has been removed from the docket days after he placed a 15-year-old girl in handcuffs after she fell asleep in his courtroom during a summer field trip.
On Tuesday, a Detroit-based nonprofit organization, the Greening of Detroit, took a group of minors to Judge Kenneth King's courtroom in 36th District Court so they could learn more about the legal happenings in the courtroom.
As the day unfolded, King "chose to make an example of a 15-year-old girl in front of her peers," Colleen Robar, the PR representative for the Greening of Detroit, said in a statement Tuesday.
"He made her wear handcuffs and a jail uniform and yelled at her for falling asleep in his courtroom," Robar said in the statement. "Although the Judge was trying to teach a lesson of respect, his methods were unacceptable."
Robar said that if the judge was unhappy with the conduct of the minors in the courtroom, he should have simply asked them to leave.
Following "a swift and thorough internal investigation," King was removed from his docket and will "undergo the necessary training to address the underlying issues that contributed to this incident," Chief Judge William McConico said in a statement Thursday.
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The nonprofit group, which works to improve the infrastructure and landscaping in Detroit, said Tuesday that it had spoken with the teen and her mom and that "the young lady was traumatized by the Judge's unnecessary disciplinary treatment and scolding."
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King did not respond to a request for comment from NBC News. He told WXYZ-TV of Detroit it wasn't the teen’s falling asleep that prompted him to censure her. "It was her whole attitude and her whole disposition that disturbed me," he said, adding that his goal was to "get through to her" and teach her how serious it is to be in a courtroom.
"That's not something that normally happens. But I felt compelled to do it because I didn't like the child's attitude," King told the station. "I haven't been disrespected like that in a very long time."
King also threatened the teen with time at the juvenile detention facility, according to video of the court livestream obtained by WXYZ. He ended up letting her go.
Latoreya Till, the mother of the teen who was punished in court, told NBC News she is glad the story is making headlines because often when people speak out against those in power, it is swept under the rug.
Till said her daughter is having trouble understanding why the judge would "do that to her," and has been having trouble sleeping and eating since the incident.
She said her daughter was so tired Tuesday because the pair have been jumping between housing and had gotten to the place where they were staying late the night before.
Asked about King's removal from the docket, Till said, "That’s a lesson learned for him."
"He was trying to prove a point to my daughter and make an example out of her in front of, you know, her peers. So, you know, that’s how it goes," Till said.
He is "supposed to show love and sympathy and implement the law, and he didn’t do none of that," she said.
In a statement Wednesday, Chief Judge Pro Tem Aliyah Sabree acknowledged "the concerning events" the day before.
"The 36th District Court does not condone the actions taken by Judge King, and the conduct displayed does not reflect the standards we uphold at the 36th District Court," Sabree said. "I am committed to addressing this matter with the utmost diligence."
In announcing the decision to remove King from the docket, McConico said Thursday that the court, "known as 'the people’s court,' remains deeply committed to providing access to justice in an environment free from intimidation or disrespect. The actions of Judge King on August 13th do not reflect this commitment."
McConico said the court routinely welcomes students "to observe and engage with the judicial process, aiming to provide valuable educational experiences and foster familiarity with the justice system."
"We sincerely hope that this incident does not undermine our longstanding relationships with local schools," he said.
After the decision to remove King was announced, the Greening of Detroit said in a new statement that it is "encouraged" by the court's decision and that it hopes "this disciplinary action will improve decision making and the treatment of all students who visit his court."
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