A Louisiana judge is temporarily stepping down after a video surfaced of people using racial slurs within her home.
Lafayette City Court Judge Michelle Odinet will temporarily step down from her position, according to a statement from her lawyer.
“[Odinet] is humiliated, embarrassed, and sorry for what she’s done and the trouble she’s caused to the community,” said Odinet’s attorney, Dane Ciolino. “Tomorrow, she’s going on interim leave without pay. And as far as what’ll happen in the longer term, she’ll have to deal with that in the weeks to come.”
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Odinet made news Monday when a video surfaced of her family gathering to watch home security footage of a botched attempt to break into their car. A female voice is heard casually using the N-word several times in the clip. It is unclear who is using these words, as no faces are shown in the video.
The remarks were condemned by local leaders, including NAACP’s Lafayette chapter president, Michael Toussaint.
“One would think that as a sitting judge, a mother, a community leader, a person in position of authority, that she would have stepped up and taken a stand against that type of language in her own home,” Toussaint told KLFY on Tuesday. The NAACP chapter president called for Odinet to resign after her remarks.
Odinet later confirmed that the clip was filmed at her home. According to the judge, the family was the victim of armed burglary last weekend.
“My children and I were the victim of an armed burglary at our home. The police were called, and the assailant was arrested. The incident shook me to my core, and my mental state was fragile,” Odinet told the outlet. The police confirmed that they were called and that the suspect was arrested and charged with two counts of simple burglary.
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Afterward, Odinet said that she was “given a sedative at the time of the video. I have zero recollection of the video and the disturbing language used during it.”
While Odinet did not confirm that her voice was in the video, people who are familiar with Odinet told The Current that the female voice using racial slurs sounds like hers.
“Anyone who knows me and my husband knows this is contrary to the way we live our lives. I am deeply sorry and ask for your forgiveness and understanding as my family and I deal with the emotional aftermath of this armed burglary,” she said.
Odinet, a Republican, was elected to her role in 2020 for her first six-year term, reports the Acadiana Advocate.
