The son of the Louisiana judge who went viral this week for shouting racist slurs in a video has been kicked off his track and field team for allegedly encouraging his mom’s offensive behavior.
Meanwhile, his mom is under investigation and has been disqualified by the Louisiana Supreme Court.
On Thursday, ABC 2 Baton Rouge reported that Elijah Odinet had been removed from Louisiana State University’s track team, just hours after his mom, Lafayette City Court Judge Michelle Odinet, went on administrative leave.
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On Friday, Odinet was barred from the state Supreme Court, meaning that she cannot practice any judiciary duties. According to The Advocate, the judge requested the disqualification and will not be paid during the suspension.
In the viral video, Odinet was filmed shouting racial epithets while watching surveillance footage of an intruder attempting to burglarize her home.
While seemingly enjoying watching the surveillance footage, a male voice can be heard laughing and saying, “And mom’s yelling n—--, n—--.” A female voice responds: “We have a n -----; it’s a n-----, like a roach.”
Odinet admitted that it was her voice that was heard in the video. It’s unclear who the male voice belonged to, though the judge did mention her son “Eli” during the video.
LSU Track & Field posted on their Instagram page Thursday that it does not tolerate racism and supports the team’s diversity. Odinet has two other children who are still listed on LSU’s track and field roster.
“We respect these differences because they make us stronger,” the post read. “We will continue to do our part in the ongoing work toward [the eradication of racism]—through educating ourselves, engaging with our community, and honoring the distinctions that empower us.”
After the video went viral, Odinet said that she and her four children were victims of an attempted burglary. The Lafayette Police Department confirmed it had charged Robert Handy, a 59-year-old Black man, in the burglary, The Current reported. The police investigation found that two vehicles had been broken into during the early hours of Saturday.
In a statement to The Current on Monday, Odinet said “the incident shook [her] to [her] core and [her] mental state was fragile.” She attributed her behavior in the video to the result of her being on a sedative and that she had no recollection of what happened because of it.
“I have zero recollection of the video and the disturbing language used during it,” she said. “Anyone who knows me and my husband, knows this is contrary to the way we live our lives. I am deeply sorry and ask for your forgiveness and understanding as my family and I deal with the emotional aftermath of this armed burglary.”
During a press conference on Thursday, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards called for Odinet to resign. He said that Black litigants likely would not feel comfortable in cases supervised by her.
