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Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder, the judge in the Kyle Rittenhouse homicide trial, is facing backlash after making a racial joke about Asian food during the courtroom session on Thursday (July 11).
“I hope the Asian food isn’t coming … isn’t on one of those boats in Long Beach Harbor," Schroeder said prior to a lunch break via NBC News.
The off-handed joke, which was an apparent reference to the supply chain backlog impacting California ports in which boats have been stuck in idle for days awaiting a return to shore, has been deemed offensive by many members of the Asian community and others.
John Yang, the executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC, a group aimed to advance civil and human rights for Asian Americans, said the judge's comment was "definitely not okay."
“Seriously, this remark can only be seen as a joke at the expense of Asians/Asian Americans. During a trial that clearly has race implications, no less,” Yang said via NBC News.
Michele Dauber, a Stanford law professor, also condemned the judge's joke, calling it "a thinly-veiled anti-Asian comment" and referring to him as "biased" and "a bigot" in a tweet shared on Thursday (November 11).
Schroeder has faced backlash from critics who have accused him of having a bias based on several incidents that have taken place throughout the trial of Rittenhouse, 18, who is accused of gunning down two men and wounding a third during a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin last summer.
The judge angrily chastised the prosecution on Wednesday (November 10) and has disallowed the individuals shot by Rittenhouse to be referred to as "victims," but allowed the terms "rioters," "looters" and "arsonists" to be used in the courtroom.
Schroeder also silenced his ringtone, which appeared to be 'God Bless the USA' by Lee Greenwood, a rally song used by former President Donald Trump, during the court session this week.
Schroeder has not addressed the backlash from Thursday's comment, which took place one week after he dismissed a juror for making a joke about the police shooting of Jacob Blake, claiming, "It’s clear that the appearance of bias is present and it would seriously undermine the outcome of the case" at the time of the dismissal.
Closing arguments in the Rittenhouse trial are scheduled to take place on Monday (November 15).