A Michigan judge who handcuffed a 15-year-old girl during a field trip to his courthouse has been demoted upon his return to the court.
Judge Kenneth King has returned to the courtroom following his suspension in August after ordering 15-year-old Eva Goodman to put on jail clothes and handcuffs while she was on a field trip in Detroit, Michigan.
Judge King is now being sued by Goodman and her family for $75,000 and accused of violating her civil rights.
Judge King has ‘no reservations’ about his actions and believes he acted this way to teach the children a valuable lesson
He ordered 15-year-old Eva Goodman into prison garb and handcuffs while she was on a field trip in Detroit, Michigan
The teen was also threatened with time in a juvenile center because she fell asleep in the courthouse and the judge believed she showed “attitude” while on a fact-finding trip organized by the nonprofit she works for, the Greening of Detroit .
Her mother, Latoreya Till, told the Detroit Free Press, “My daughter is hurt. She feels scared. She didn’t want to go to work. She feels as if her peers are going against her. She was very nervous and intimidated.”
Footage of the incident, recorded on the court’s livestream, captured the moment King raised his voice to wake her and said, “You’re going to fall asleep in my courtroom again, I’m going to put you in the back, understand?”
Eva was on a trip organized by the nonprofit she works with, Greening of Detroit
King placed the teen in handcuffs and a prison uniform after she fell asleep in his courtroom and showed ‘attitude’, according to the judge
Goodman’s mother, Latoreya Till, said their living situation contributed to the teen falling asleep in the courtroom and that the judge’s actions only made her feel worse.
King then ordered the teen to be handcuffed and threatened her with juvenile detention in front of the tour group, saying, “I’m going to sleep tonight while you’re in juvie.”
He also told the group, “One thing you will learn about my courtroom is that I am not a toy, not to be played with.”
Till explained that the teen was likely tired because her family currently had no permanent place to live, and because Goodman’s job at the nonprofit kept her busy, the Detroit Free Press reported.
She added: “We have to bounce around at the moment because we don’t have a permanent address. And so that particular evening we arrived a little late. And when she goes to work, she is usually planting trees or being active.”
King later told WXYZ-TV, “That’s not something that normally happens, but I felt compelled to do it because I didn’t like the kid’s attitude… I haven’t been disrespected like that in a long time. ‘
He also told the newspaper that he would not realistically put her in a juvenile detention center, saying he wouldn’t want to do that to a child on a field trip, but that it easily could have been done.
A week later, her mother says she still has trouble going outside or interacting with anyone outside their family, and she also has trouble sleeping at night, according to the New York Post.
Her mother tearfully told WXYZ-TV that her daughter’s treatment was belittling. She added that the judge telling her she had to sleep in her bed and not in the courtroom only made her daughter feel worse about their family’s living situation.
Judge King has returned from suspension with a demotion following his ‘extreme and outrageous’ discipline of a teenager during a field trip
Till said her daughter “gets good grades, doesn’t have any problems” and had barely gone outside since the incident and had trouble sleeping
Goodman and her family are now suing the judge for $75,000 for ‘violation of her civil rights’
King said, “That doesn’t normally happen, but I felt compelled to do it because I didn’t like the kid’s attitude… I haven’t been respected like that in a long time.”
King’s actions were deemed “extreme and outrageous” and were intended to incite fear and emotional distress, according to the lawsuit, the outlet reported.
36th District Chief Judge William McConico said King had resumed his duties after completing mandatory social-emotional training, the Telegraph reported.
The nonprofit’s president, Marissa Wood, released a statement to WXYZ-TV saying, “Although the judge tried to teach a lesson in respect, his methods were unacceptable… the young lady was traumatized by the unnecessary disciplinary treatment and swearing at the judge. ‘
King’s return to work also came with a demotion, where he would no longer handle major misdemeanor hearings but instead work in the traffic division and handle speeding tickets, the outlet reported.
McConico also explained in a statement that he could not remove King from the bench even though the temporary suspension and training had been approved by the state court administrative office.
King made no comment about his return, other than to say he was “happy to be back.”
According to WXYZ-TV, he has “no reservations” and doesn’t think he was “heavy-handed.” He said actions were his way of helping children avoid being in his courtroom later in life.
He added: ‘That was my own version of Scared Straight.’
Till made it clear that she didn’t think her daughter needed to be taught, going on to say, “My baby had a hard time, but she held on well, she went to school, she gets good grades, she doesn’t make it. don’t get in trouble.’
King reportedly contacted the family and offered Goodman mentorship, which was declined.
Goodman’s mother set up a GoFundMe in August after the incident with a goal of $1,000, which has currently received more than 200 donations.