For some time, I've heard rumors about unusual behavior from Judge Ada Brown in the Northern District of Texas.
asserted
I → hear → Texas
I was hesitant to write about the situation, because my information was incomplete and some of it was revealed in confidence.
asserted
some → write → confidence
Now, the accusations are public, in part, because Judge Brown personally disclosed items to the press and others.
asserted
Brown → disclose → press
At the outset, let me praise the other members of the Northern District of Texas, and in particular, Chief Judge Reed O'Connor.
asserted
me → let → Texas
They have picked up all of the cases that Judge Brown has not decided.
asserted
Brown → pick → that
These are very busy judges, and they have quietly assumed even more responsibilities to ensure the business of the court continues.
asserted
business → assume → court
Judge O'Connor has been routinely maligned by the press but he is a gracious and thoughtful member of his court who never seeks the spotlight.
asserted
who → malign → spotlight
Indeed, it seems that Judge Brown has attacked Judge O'Connor, who has bent over backwards to help her.
asserted
who → seem → her
No good deed goes unpunished.
asserted
deed → go → ?
Moreover, I need to praise the leadership of Chief Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod.
asserted
I → need → Elrod
She has given Judge Brown every possible benefit of the doubt and made the process as transparent as possible.
asserted
process → give → doubt
I need to contrast Chief Judge Elrod's performance with that of Chief Judge Moore in the Federal Circuit.
asserted
I → need → Circuit
Judge Newman has been subjected to a stealth impeachment through arbitrary one-year suspensions, and only after nearly two years was the case reassigned to another circuit.
asserted
case → subject → circuit
Judge Brown has been given shorter suspensions after she refused to decide cases.
asserted
she → give → cases
She has had every opportunity to make her case.
asserted
She → have → case
Her behavior in court that has been reported in the press is extremely troubling.
asserted
that → report → press
Her refusal to decide cases seems to be an abdication of her responsibility as a federal judge.
asserted
refusal → decide → judge
And her unwillingness to participate in any disciplinary proceedings suggests something is amiss.
uncertain
something → participate → proceedings
I will hold off on opining on these issues in more depth, as I suspect more facts will come out.
asserted
facts → hold → depth
Here, I want to focus on Judge Brown's behavior in court that gave rise to an ethics complaint earlier this year.
asserted
that → want → complaint
Jacqueline Thomsen of Bloomberg Law, who has her finger on the pulse of the Fifth Circuit, offers the stunning details.
asserted
who → have → details
A lawyer's misconduct complaint against US District Judge Ada Brown stemmed from a hearing during which she repeatedly directed racial insults at him, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg Law.
uncertain
she → stem → Law
Attorney Ezra Young, who has represented a Black woman professor suing over a tenure denial, filed a complaint against Brown following the April 2026 hearing in Dallas, he confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg Law.
asserted
he → represent → Law
Young's complaint and the judge's formal response were among the documents that Brown circulated in an Oct. 17 email to lawyers, judges, and members of the media.
asserted
Brown → circulate → media
Throughout the hearing, the judge, a Black woman with Native American ancestry, accused Young of mistreating Black attorneys, took "judicial notice" of her own background in making findings against Young, and repeatedly referred to Young, who is Latino, as being White.
asserted
who → accuse → Young
Brown called the hearing months after she revoked Young's ability to practice in her courtroom to weigh whether the lawyer should face sanctions.
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lawyer → call → sanctions
"I think what's happening here, quite candidly, is you are very intimidated for some reason, Mr. Young, with Black excellence, in light of your White mediocrity.
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you → think → mediocrity
Right?," Brown said, according to the transcript.
uncertain
Brown → say → transcript
"You should write that down.
asserted
You → write → that
I mean, you — I'm — you look like a White man, right?
asserted
you → mean → man
"
"I'm not White, Your Honor," Young replied, adding that he's Latino.
asserted
he → reply → ?
"Well, you are White-presenting; is that fair to say?" Brown said, according to the transcript.
uncertain
Brown → present → transcript
Young said that he's "fair-skinned," and Brown said that Young had "White privilege" when he argued his client didn't receive key evidence in the case.
"You're the White savior, come to save all the stupid Black lawyers in Texas who need your help, from New York," Brown later said, according to the transcript.
uncertain
Brown → say → transcript
During the April 24, 2026 hearing, Brown accused Young of "racial bullying" toward Black attorneys in the case.
asserted
Brown → accuse → case
Brown also said that Young was acting like a "Chad," a term Young wasn't familiar with.
asserted
Young → say → Chad
The judge said it was the male version of a "Karen."
asserted
it → say → Karen
"It's someone who calls the manager when they don't get their way.
asserted
they → call → way
They stomp their foot when the rules are supposed to apply to them, right?" Brown said, according to the transcript.
uncertain
Brown → stomp → transcript
During the April hearing, Brown took issue with an article headline describing the case when it went before the Supreme Court of Texas.
asserted
it → take → Texas
The article quoted a brief filed by Young that referenced another law professor apparently comparing what happened in the tenure denial to a "lynching."
asserted
what → quote → lynching
…and 71 more, not listed.
The Aporia
