NY judge accused of racist, anti-gay comments agrees to resign amid misconduct charges

On Friday, a New York judge accused of making a slew of racist and anti-gay comments to and about co-workers agreed to step down from her position effective March 1 and never to accept judicial office in the future, the New York Post reported.

The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct announced on Monday that Kings County Surrogate’s Court Judge Harriet Thompson agreed to resign amid misconduct allegations, which she has denied.

Thompson, who has been a Surrogate's Court judge since 2019, was charged by the CJC in May 2022 for allegedly making “inappropriate comments to and about employees and judges of the Unified Court System.”

The written complaint made against Thompson also alleged that she “displayed bias against various individuals and ethnicities; failed to administer Surrogate Court matters in a timely manner, leading to substantial delays; and, as a candidate for Surrogate in 2018, failed to complete mandatory campaign ethics education in a timely manner.”

Thompson was accused of making several vile remarks to and about co-workers. The inspector general “substantiated” claims that Thompson had referred to four other judges as “gay racist f****ts” who were “all f***ing each other.”

“I hate these gay white men … being gay is an abomination to mankind,” Thompson allegedly said.

According to the state’s Office of Court Administration, Thompson was accused of stating, “I do not like Hispanic people. They have a deceitful trait that goes way back to biblical times.”

At the time of the allegation, Thompson’s attorney told the Post, “The judge denies all of the allegations that are asserted against her.”

The judge was scheduled for a formal hearing later this month but provided a physician’s note in November claiming that she was “not medically fit to stand trial at this time” due to a medical disability that would require her to have additional procedures. According to the New York Post, Thompson sustained a shoulder injury.

As a result of her claim, the commission filed another complaint against Thompson, accusing her of being medically unfit for office on account of her injury.

Andrew Fisher, Thompson’s lawyer, told the Post, “Because of the pain she endures she takes some medication which would interfere with her ability to participate in the defense against the charges that have been made.”

In response, Thompson has agreed to resign and drop the lawsuit she filed against the OCA, accusing the administration of wrongful suspension.

“Had Judge Thompson not developed some disabling illness, she would have vigorously defended herself, but found that it was an impossible thing to do at this point,” Fisher said. “It should be noted that there are no findings of wrongdoing that have been entered against her.”

“She leaves, hopefully, with her reputation intact,” Fisher added.

Commission Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian stated, “The conduct charged against Judge Thompson was egregious and, if established at trial, would have warranted her removal from office. She now claims a medical condition prevents her from performing judicial duties, which opens a different path in furtherance of the public interest for her immediate and permanent departure from the bench.”

Thompson's retirement begins March 1, and she will be allowed to keep her judicial pension.