Michelle Odinet, a judge in Lafayette, Louisiana, has reportedly taken a leave of absence after a video came out showing her using racist language in her own home.
Lafayette, Louisiana Judge Michelle Odinet is under investigation over racist video.
The Louisiana Supreme Court has suspended the judge and is launching an investigation. The court order said she is “disqualified from exercising judicial functions, without salary, during the pendency of further proceedings…”
The viral video was shared online and spread like wildfire, prompting many people to call for her resignation.
While it is not clear if things will go that far at the moment. Critics say Odinet has certainly found herself in hot water, and it is very likely that her career will take a turn for the worse after the video was made public.
It is unclear who filmed and leaked the video. It was captured inside of her own home. In it, people watching a security video have the following exchange: “‘That’s me.’ ‘And Mom’s yelling ‘n—, n—.” ‘We have a n—–. It’s a n—–, like a roach.'”
It is worth noting that the judge had accepted to take her leave without pay, and she has expressed remorse over what she had done.
However, many commenters online do not seem impressed with her attitude, claiming that she was just putting on a show and does not actually feel any guilt for what she had done, only remorse that she got caught.
One critic shared: “Should not be in a position of leadership..despicable.”
Judge Michelle Odinet says she is not racist under normal conditions.
Odinet added that she had been given a sedative when the video was taken place, and she was not in control of her actions at the time.
She claims to not remember anything from the incident at all and stated that this was completely out of character for her.
The judge added that anyone close to her would readily stand by those claims, defending her and confirming that she is not normally racist.
The full statement read: “I was given a sedative at the time of the video. I have zero recollection of the video and the disturbing language used during it. Anyone who knows me and my husband knows this is contrary to the way we live our lives.”
She continued: “We ask for your understanding, forgiveness, patience, and prayers.”
According to KLFY-TV, she also added: “The police were called, and the assailant was arrested. The incident shook me to my core, and my mental state was fragile.”
Critics want Republican judge to resign.
However, that has not done much to convince commenters of her innocence, and the situation seems to be moving in a very bad direction for Michelle Odinet, according to some observers.
Michael Toussaint, president of the Lafayette Chapter of the NAACP, wants the judge gone. Toussaint’s statement read: “I have never met Judge Odinet, only heard her voice in campaign ads. But because she has confirmed that the video was in fact taken inside her home, 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.”
The controversial judge, who is a Republican and was elected in November 2020 for a six-year term, has four adult children.
