Cook County Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman (inset) has been reassigned and referred to the Judicial Inquiry Board after sharing a racist image in a text message (Photo Credits: Facebook/Canva Pro).
Cook County Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman has been temporarily reassigned and referred to the state Judicial Inquiry Board after allegedly sharing a racist image in a text message. The image, which became public last week, shows a parody of a Little Tykes toy box featuring a Black child with the caption “My First Ankle Monitor.” The message was sent with the text: “My husband’s idea of Christmas humor.”
The image appears to be a screenshot from an AI-generated meme found on TikTok. Glennon-Goodman reportedly sent the message to a fellow judge with the same first name by mistake. A friend of the judge, who spoke to Injustice Watch on the condition of anonymity, said the message was actually intended for a close friend.
As a result of the incident, Glennon-Goodman was reassigned from her position in the pretrial division, where she made decisions about whether defendants in criminal and domestic violence cases should be jailed, monitored electronically, or released. Chief Judge Timothy Evans issued the reassignment after a meeting with the court’s executive committee. In addition, Glennon-Goodman will receive training on implicit bias, and the Judicial Inquiry Board will review the situation to determine if further action is needed.
Glennon-Goodman, who ran unopposed for her first term as a judge in the 10th Subcircuit last year, is a former public defender. Neither she nor her husband responded to requests for comment.
The Chicago Bar Association issued the following statement concerning this matter:
“The Chicago Bar Association commends the Executive Committee of the Circuit Court of Cook County and Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans for taking prompt action to investigate and address the alleged recent circulation of an objectionable and offensive text message by a Circuit Court of Cook County Judge. We expect all our judges to adhere to the highest standards of judicial ethical conduct, which includes avoiding the appearance of bias and treating all individuals with respect. Our judges must uphold the public’s confidence in the integrity and impartiality of our judicial system by always conducting themselves appropriately, whether they are on or off the bench. We urge and trust the Judicial Inquiry Board, to whom this matter has been referred, to implement remedial action to ensure that unacceptable incidents like this do not recur.”