A Colorado judge who was censored by the state Supreme Court after being accused of using racist language with a colleague has resigned.
According to the Colorado Supreme Court, Judge Natalie T. Chase used the N word multiple times with a colleague and was racially insensitive on many occasions, according to court documents recommending disciplinary action against Chase and public censure from the court.
The documents detail an incident in 2020 where Chase, a former Registrar and a Family Court Facilitator were back at work after attending an event in Pueblo, Colorado.
“Judge Chase is white and the Family Court Facilitator is black,” the documents read. On the way back from Pueblo, Judge Chase asked the Family Court Facilitator questions about why black people can use the N word, but not whites, and whether it was different when the N word is said with an ‘er’ or an ‘a ‘at the end of the word. “
Judge Chase used the full N word a number of times during the conversation, the documents say.
The facilitator felt uncomfortable and “felt angry and hurt by the conversation,” the documents said. She explained that Judge Chase’s use of the full N word was ‘like a stab through my heart every time,’ but she did not feel comfortable sharing her discomfort or emotions with Chase for fear of retaliation .
Following this incident, Chase made other derogatory statements, including telling colleagues, some of whom were Black, that “ she would boycott the Super Bowl because she objected to the NFL players kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality against Black. people, ”the documents read.
After the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2020, thereafter former police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck and also expressed her views on the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests that took place all over the US
When two black court officials discussed the protests in Judge Chase’s courtroom, she told them “some of her views on racial justice issues” and “asked an employee some questions about the Black Lives Matter movement.”
“The employee tried to explain the Black Lives Matter movement, and Judge Chase stated that she believes all lives matter,” the documents said. Judge Chase also stated that the conduct of the police officers in the George Floyd case should be investigated.
Several other incidents where Chase spoke to colleagues or treated them inappropriately are mentioned in the court documents, including one where she called another judge an “f ****** b ****” while speaking to a clerk .
The court said the judge violated four separate judicial rules and thereby undermined confidence in the judiciary. The Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline Case advised the court to publicly disapprove or condemn Chase, and the court filed for her dismissal.
Chase claimed she was “not referring to racial animus,” but acknowledged that her statements violated a rule “requiring a judge to act in a way that promotes public confidence in the judiciary.” She acknowledged that her use of the N word “does not promote public confidence in the judiciary and creates the appearance of impropriety”.
Chase has filed her resignation and the Colorado Supreme Court has accepted it, CBS Denver reports.