Judge was suspended from the role on 9 March 2018 following press reports of allegations of racism and sexism made against her in the IoD office. "The Guardian" reported that Judge was "understood to have been recorded covertly by the IoD's director general, Stephen Martin" and to have said, "We have three inexperienced people doing a job the IoD's secretariat when one experienced person could do it and they are making mistakes. And so the problem is we have one black and we have one pregnant woman and that is the worst combination we could possibly have. No, two blacks and one pregnant woman. I couldn't believe it!"