DETROIT — A Detroit judge is being sued by the mother of a teen girl he had placed in handcuffs and jail uniform for falling asleep in his courtroom earlier this month.
The lawsuit, which was announced at a news conference on Wednesday, was filed in federal court in Detroit, and accuses Judge Kenneth King of unlawful arrest and emotional distress. The lawsuit also names two court officers and the security guards.
The controversy began on Aug. 13 when the 15-year-old girl fell asleep during a field trip to the 36th District Court arranged by a non-profit organization. The court proceedings were livestreamed when King could be seen yelling at the girl. He warns her about sleeping a second time, scolding the girl before ordering to have her placed in handcuffs and a jail uniform.
King said he had the girl placed in handcuffs and a jail uniform because she was falling asleep and he believed she had a bad attitude.
Last week, the girl’s mother told The Detroit Free Press her daughter was up late the night before the field trip, and the family did not have permanent housing at the time.
Backlash following King’s actions was swift, with the 36th District Court Chief Judge William McConico announcing King was temporarily removed from the docket and would undergo necessary training. On Friday, Wayne State University announced King would no longer be instructing classes there.
More on the incident and fallout.
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