A Summit County Courthouse open house celebrating 250 years of American history is under fire from Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Kani Hightower, who has criticized the event planning and motivations behind a promotional video published by a local social media site.
The free Aug. 6 open house will feature tours showcasing art around the courthouse and its century-old architecture, a scavenger hunt and a question-and-answer session with judges. Hightower, who serves as the court’s presiding judge, is boycotting the event. The presiding oversees jury and grandy jury processes and appoints court-related committees.
She wrote in a statement posted on Facebook that she was not included in the decision-making process. She also questioned a promotional video that she said was aimed at boosting Black residents’ attendance at the event.
“As the only African American Judge of the 14 Common Pleas Judges, I find wanting to patronize only this ‘certain demographic’ with a video is concerning for many reasons, and I communicated so to my fellow judges,” wrote Hightower, who serves in the court’s Domestic Relations Division.
At least one colleague on the bench, Judge Joy Malek Oldfield, expressed support for Hightower in a Facebook post.
Judge Alison McCarty, who serves as the court’s administrative judge, said Hightower’s complaint mischaracterized the planning process and the presiding judge’s duties as outlined in the local rules. The administrative judge handles many day-to-day responsibilities in their division, including scheduling and staffing.
The open house began as a General Division-only event, McCarty said. Her team organized it with the other criminal court and civil court judges. General Division later expanded it to include other courthouse divisions in meetings and emails, McCarty explained.
“We invited her,” McCarty said of Hightower, citing specific emails that included Domestic Relations Court staff. “We were not catering or pandering to anyone.”
The media plan included outreach to news outlets, libraries, faith leaders, the Akron Bar Association and more. The creator of the promotional video previously promoted the court’s Fugitive Safe Surrender, McCarty explained.
The event runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 6, at 209 South High St. in downtown Akron. Parking is available at the Summit County Parking Deck at 200 South High St.
Bryce Buyakie is an Akron-based reporter who covers the courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com or on X @bryce_buyakie.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Judges at odds over Summit courthouse’s America 250 event
Reporting by Bryce Buyakie, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Bryce Buyakie, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
