On Tuesday, a judge from Franklin County filed a federal complaint against the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, along with a number of her colleagues and fellow judges.
Kimberly Cocroft, who claimed racial and gender discrimination, filed the case on Tuesday. She’s hit her breaking point, according to Cocroft.
The last thing I wanted to do was this. “This was the last option,” Cocroft stated. Cocroft joined 20 other judges and court staff in bringing the complaint against the prosecutor’s office.
She added that for the previous three and a half years, she has been receiving this treatment. In December 2021, shortly after Cocroft was elected to the position of administrative judge, one of the initial events occurred.
She claimed that two judges visited her office to offer guidance.
“They wanted to help me have a better year of service because they heard I was aggressive, unapproachable, and unfriendly,” Cocroft stated. They then exchanged some ideas, according to Cocroft.
“You need to be more like them,” Cocroft stated when one of the judges questioned if I had heard of the Black women on the list of ladies for whom I should aspire.
What Cocroft Said
Cocroft said that her coworkers’ treatment of her has only become worse, resulting in a hostile workplace that is having a negative impact.
“I don’t want to break out in hives driving into work. I don’t want to lose my hair, which has happened. I just want to be able to do the work that I was elected to do,” Cocroft said.
Cocroft claimed that since the start of the year, she has made constant efforts to address and resolve the issue. “I’ve been insulted and treated disrespectfully ever since.
Cocroft remarked, “My concerns and I have been disregarded.” However, Cocroft stated that she is still optimistic that the lawsuit would not need to proceed.
“Maybe it’s the eternal optimist in me, but I always hoped that someone would reach out and say, hey, we see you, we hear you, we understand why you’re worried, we’re sorry for what happened, and we’re willing to work with you to make this different and better,” Cocroft said.
The case is still being investigated, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office informed 10TV.