Racist Meme Shared By Judge Prompts Disciplinary Probe, Reassignment, Anti-Bias Training

CHICAGO — A Cook County judge in a north suburban subcircuit has been reassigned, referred to a disciplinary board and ordered to undergo implicit bias training after she accidentally shared a racist meme with a colleague, according to court documents and news reports.

Circuit Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman reportedly shared an image of a fake advertisement for "My First Ankle Monitor" depicting an AI-generated image of a Black toddler's face alongside a four-toed foot with an ankle monitor around it.

Glennon-Goodman sent the image via text message with the note, "My husband's idea of Christmas humor."

Her husband, Dr. Paul Goodman, is a podiatric foot and ankle surgeon with the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, according to the judge's campaign materials.

A friend told Injustice Watch, which first reported the scandal, that Glennon-Goodman had intended to send it to a close friend but mistakenly sent it to a judge with the same first name.

Glennon-Goodman, 55, of Glenview, worked for more than two decades as a public defender assigned to homicide cases before she was appointed to the bench last year.

Glennon-Goodman then ran unopposed in the Democratic Party primary for the 10th Judicial Subcircuit, which extends from Chicago's northwest side to Glenview and includes all of Niles Township.

On Friday, the Executive Committee of the Cook County Circuit Court, led by Chief Judge Timothy Evans, temporarily removed Glennon-Goodman from her position in the pretrial division, where she determined whether defendants in criminal and domestic violence cases would be jailed, placed on electronic monitoring or released.

According to the committee's order, Glennon-Goodman has been "implicated in conduct which may violate the Code of Judicial Conduct," and was reassigned "to promote public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary."

Glennon-Goodman has not publicly commented on the matter, nor has her podiatrist husband.

The origin of the meme in question could not be determined, but it appears to be a twist on an existing parody video, which circulated online starting in August 2023, demonstrating a "My First Ankle Monitor" and an accompanying app to restrict the movement of toddlers.

In the original video — created by a collaboration between Legboot Apparel and Kids Toys, Adult Issues — the child is white and the producer of the product is called "Little Yikes," while the AI-generated version with a Black child is labeled, "Little Tiks."

Legboot shared news of Glennon-Goodman's reassignment on social media with the note, "And yet, I made this two years ago and got flak for cultural appropriation."

A representative of the Cook County Bar Association, the nation's oldest association of Black attorneys, provided a statement to Injustice Watch describing the meme as inappropriate to share, regardless of the intended audience.

“Discernment and judgment are of utmost importance for the qualifications of a judge," it said. "Any judge should be unbiased enough to not further circulate such a racist trope.”

During her campaign, Glennon-Goodman highlighted her commitment to fairness, honesty and integrity, stating her experience gave her the judicial temperament necessary for the bench.

She also presented herself as a community leader, touting her time as past president of the District 225 Glenbrook South Parent Association, a judge for North Suburban Bar Association mock trial competitions and a participant in the nonprofit organization Women Everywhere.

Glennon-Goodman's current term is due to run until 2030. Meanwhile, the Judicial Inquiry Board will now determine whether further sanctions are warranted.