A Brooklyn Surrogate’s Court judge will leave office after being accused of misconduct in the courthouse, state officials announced on Monday.
Harriet L. Thompson, who took her seat on the bench in 2019, has agreed to give up her position and never seek or accept another judicial office, according to the state Commission on Judicial Conduct. Thompson was accused of making racist and homophobic comments about her colleagues, and was set to face a formal hearing on the allegations on Jan. 17.
The judge’s lawyers claimed that Thompson was “medically unfit” to stand trial due to a shoulder injury, according to legal documents, and later admitted that she was also unfit to continue to serve as a judge. She will officially retire on March 1.
