A federal judge in Dallas is facing a complaint after she allegedly hurled racial insults at a lawyer during a hearing.
During the April 24 hearing, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown said the lawyer, who is Latino, was “very intimidated” by “ Black excellence, in light of your White mediocrity.”
The hearing was in the case of a long-running lawsuit filed by a black former SMU law professor who sued her employer after she was denied tenure. She is being represented by Ezra Young, the Latino lawyer.
From Bloomberg Law:
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. Brown called the hearing months after she revoked Young’s ability to practice in her courtroom to weigh whether the lawyer should face 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. Yeah. Right?,” Brown said, according to the transcript. “You should write that down. I mean, you — I’m — you look like a White man, right?”
“I’m not White, Your Honor,” Young replied, adding that he’s Latino.
“Well, you are White-presenting; is that fair to say?” Brown said, according to the 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.
A Trump-appointed federal judge has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric examination after she berated a Latino attorney in open court, calling him a "White savior" intimidated by "Black excellence" due to his "White mediocrity." U.S. District Judge Ada Brown of the Northern District of Texas was temporarily removed from her docket by the Fifth Circuit Judicial Council following a misconduct complaint filed by attorney Ezra Young. The hearing transcript reveals Brown repeatedly attacked Young's skin color, called him a "Chad" and a "Main Character," and mocked him as a white man who "loves to help Black people be an ally" — all while Young told the court he is Latino. Brown has stood by her conduct, writing in a July filing that she does not believe her demeanor "was inappropriate at any time, especially during the candid conversations about race." Full story here https://t.co/qQUNRrGEVa
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) October 30, 2026
The hearing was meant to address whether Young broke a court order on sealed filings and whether he should be sanctioned or held in contempt.
The judge, who was nominated by President Donald Trump in 2019, continued grilling Young about his race, asking whether he would agree that "when you accuse Black attorneys of misconduct, when you do it, you have White privilege; fair?"
Near the end of the hearing, she told him, "Can I pause and just tell you, I appreciate, on behalf of Black people, your White saviordom." When Young again said he was not White, she answered, "Okay. White-appearing." She later asked, "Oh, is it reverse racism now?"
Young pushed back during the hearing, saying, "It appeared that the Court was using vicious stereotypes about White people, when I've repeatedly disclosed to this Court I am Latino."
Brown defended her behavior during the exchange. Just before the "White mediocrity" line, she said she was responding to what she called Young's "racial bullying" of black lawyers. She said she was "concerned at what I see as a disturbing pattern of misbehavior towards lawyers of color," and asked the record to reflect "this is an African American woman judge making these findings."
Brown's cases were taken from her under a September 29 order by the Fifth Circuit Judicial Council, which was made public October 19. The council said Brown "widely disseminated confidential materials related to these proceedings, including to members of the press, and waived confidentiality in writing."
A special committee also ordered the judge to undergo a psychiatric exam.
In a July 28 response, Brown denied having any mental health issue. She said the race exchanges "might have been handled more delicately," but added, "I do not believe my demeanor was inappropriate at any time, especially during the candid conversations about race."
One former federal judge says the case for removal would be compelling. Former Fourth Circuit Judge Andre Davis told Bloomberg Law that "the case for removal of a judge, at the state or federal level, would be compelling."