The family of a Michigan teen filed a lawsuit Wednesday against a Detroit judge who ordered the young girl to be handcuffed and put in jail clothes after she fell asleep during a field trip to the courtroom earlier in August.
The teen’s mother, Latoreya Till, described Judge Kenneth King, who is Black, as a “big bully” at a press conference where she announced the federal civil lawsuit against the court official, according to Fox 2 Detroit .
“It’s been pretty devastating. Eva doesn’t want to come outside,” Till said, per the outlet. “She doesn’t want to be involved with no one else but her family, relatives. It’s hard for her to sleep at night. She’s asking me, ‘Why the judge do me like this out of all the kids?'”
The now-viral incident occurred on Aug. 13 when Eva Goodman, 15, visited the 36th District Court on a field trip. During the event, King was reportedly upset at the teen for falling asleep in the courtroom. When she did it again, he ordered her to be handcuffed and placed in a prison outfit.
He claimed that Goodman’s bad attitude led him to issue the order, which was broadcast online via the court’s stream, according to The Associated Press .
CBS News reported that the family’s legal team called for disciplinary action against King, and the lawsuit alleges he violated Goodman’s constitutional rights.
“Subjecting a minor to such public humiliation and violating her rights is unconscionable,” attorney James Harrington of Fieger Law said, per CBS News. “Our legal system is built on principles of fairness and respect for all individual rights, and those who violate those rights should be held accountable for their actions.”
Till said the traumatic ordeal affected her daughter and she questioned why King would target only her out of the group of kids on the field trip.
“I just want Judge King to take accountability for the way that he humiliated my daughter,” Till explained, per the outlet. “It’s hard for her to sleep at night. She’s asking me, ‘Why did the judge do me like this out of all the kids?'”
According to 36th District Court Chief Judge William McConico, King has been temporarily removed from his docket. Additionally, Wayne State University, where he served as an adjunct professor, announced on Friday that the two courses he was scheduled to teach in the fall have been reassigned.
The family is seeking over $75,000 in monetary compensation, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by The Associated Press.
Goodman went on the field trip with nonprofit group The Greening of Detroit, with Till noting that her daughter was tired due to her family’s lack of permanent housing.
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