NY chief judge rips racist court clerk who used n-word to describe Black teen

Manhattan Family Court. Photo by Jim.henderson via Wikimedia Commons

By David Brand

New York’s chief judge on Monday condemned a Manhattan family court clerk overheard using the n-word to describe a Black 15-year-old boy appearing at a virtual hearing last week.

The clerk, Donna Prainito, used the n-word and other racial slurs at the end of a proceeding April 16, the boy’s attorney told various news outlets. Prainito was suspended without pay and faces formal disciplinary charges, said Chief Judge Janet Difiore.

“We have zero tolerance for racially biased conduct and language on the part of any individual who works for or represents the New York State Unified Court System,” DiFiore said during a weekly address to the court system. “As employees of the branch of government charged with the solemn obligation to deliver equal justice under law, it is up to each and every one of us to make sure that every individual who appears before us is treated with equal dignity and respect, and that every member of our institution is as well.”

Prainito apparently thought her microphone was off when she used the racist language, including an Italian-American slur used to refer to Black people. 

DiFiore said the judge at the hearing, Jessica Bourbon, “promptly and appropriately reported the incident,” leading to an investigation by the Office of the Managing Inspector General for Bias Matters.

The clerk’s racist remarks come as the New York court system contends with institutional bias at all levels, according to an independent report published last year.

The Equal Justice in the Courts task force, led by former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, found implicit bias and explicit racism throughout the court system, based on interviews with hundreds of attorneys, staffers and court visitors. 

The report described demographic disparities among judges and court leaders, most of whom are white, and a “culture of toxicity” among court officers.

DiFiore referenced the task force findings in her comments Monday.

“As we come to grips with and confront racism in our ranks our institution will only grow stronger,” she said.