New York Judge Censured After Erupting During School Board Meeting, Demanding His Son Be Named Valedictorian
Long Beach City Court Judge Corey E. Klein was formally censured by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct
The judge, who will maintain office through 2034, was accused of using his title amid a heated exchange during a school board meeting where he complained that his son was not named valedictorian
Klein now has 30 days to appeal the decisionA New York judge was censured after erupting during a school board meeting.
The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct confirmed via press release on Monday, June 9 that Long Beach City Court Judge Corey E. Klein had been censured for "invoking his judicial office in a personal matter involving his son."
During a local school board meeting that streamed live on YouTube on April 11, 2024, Klein took the microphone after the session was opened up to the public for questions. He announced that he wanted "to discuss the implications of this board's policies as it relates to COVID and the selection of the valedictorian."
The judge proceeded to say that his son was "not selected as a valedictorian because of this board's policies," adding that they "impact[ed] one person and one person only this year, my son."
Klein said that his son was a straight-A student before he was cut off.
"Don't try to out-lawyer me with the law," the judge said when the superintendent asked the school district attorney if this was the right place to have Klein's conversation, per a formal written complaint reviewed by the Commission on Judicial Conduct on Feb. 20, 2025.
The judge's microphone was seemingly turned off as a member of the school board spoke. However, Klein could still be heard shouting in the background.
'If you are going to try to be a lawyer, then refer to me by my title as well, okay. Thank you," Klein said.
'You can refer to me, counsel, as judge,' he also said, according to the complaint, which also noted that Klein frequently used the terms "counsel" and "counselor" to address the attorney.
At one point, Klein accused the board of "[trying] to sick your pit bull attorney on me." He also said, "I'm sorry that your attorney needed to go at me when all I wanted to do was come up here and politely address one simple question."
He had the floor for nearly 20 minutes.
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Amid his outburst, he was told that he "had the right to appeal" the decision about his son. However, this was not the place to do so.
"Don't try to shut me down," Klein said, threatening to continue speaking "all night."
At one point, the attorney noted that he was "respecting" Klein and asked for the same respect in return. He also addressed Klein's repeated use of legal terminology, saying, "Your Honor, we are not in court at this point."
In the commission's press release, it was noted that Klein "agreed to the censure." The release also noted that all 11 members "concurred" with the determination that was made on May 29, 2025.
He was also censured for using his office to help an "acquaintance" get out of a "traffic matter."
Now that the determination has been filed, Klein has 30 days to make a formal appeal.
According to the New York State Commission, the judge has held office at the Long Beach City Court since 2015. He will remain a judge until the end of 2034.
'It corrodes public confidence in the judiciary when a judge lends the prestige of judicial office to advance a private benefit," Commission Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian said, per the release.
Tembeckjian continued, by adding, "Doing so impulsively, in an unseemly public argument over who should be a high school's honoree, or as a favor to a parking ticket scofflaw, is especially irresponsible."
According to the Center for Judicial Ethics of the National Center for State Courts, a censure "is a formal sanction for violating the Code of Judicial Conduct." While a judge who is censured "does not require suspension or removal," the formal matter is a "stern rebuke."
PEOPLE reached out to the New York State Unified Court System for comment but did not hear back at the time of publication.
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