Judges accused of sex discrimination, bullying, internal survey shows
Last edited Mon May 16, 2022, 11:32 AM - Edit history (1)
Source: Washington Post
COURTS & LAW
Judges accused of sex discrimination, bullying, internal survey shows
By Ann E. Marimow
Today at 5:00 a.m. EDT | Updated today at 7:34 a.m. EDT
One federal appeals court judge in D.C. has hired only male law clerks for the past two decades. Another judge allegedly refused to speak to a staffer for weeks after a child-care emergency caused the assistant to depart work early one day. Others are said to have reduced their employees to tears by yelling or making cruel comments about the quality of their work.
These and other complaints appear in a confidential workplace survey conducted for the federal trial and appeals courts in the nation’s capital, an institution regarded as a steppingstone to the Supreme Court. It details instances of gender discrimination, bullying and racial insensitivity, while underscoring the stark power imbalance between judges with life tenure and the assistants who depend on them for career advancement.
In the survey, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, and in related interviews, current and former courthouse employees who acknowledged having witnessed misconduct described their reluctance to file formal complaints against their superiors. They cited fears of retaliation and distrust that the federal judiciary’s system for workplace accountability, which tasks judges with policing one another, ultimately would resolve their concerns. ... “There is no point to reporting,” said one survey respondent, “because discipline is nonexistent.”
Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said in a statement, “We aim to maintain a workplace in which we all treat one another, and the members of the public we serve, with respect and dignity.” He added that the employee survey “is an important part of that effort,” but declined to address complaints raised by courthouse staff related to specific personnel matters, citing privacy concerns.
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By Ann Marimow
Ann Marimow covers legal affairs for The Washington Post. She joined The Post in 2005 and has covered state government and politics in California, New Hampshire and Maryland. Twitter https://twitter.com/amarimow
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/16/judges-accused-discrimination-bullying/
Post confirmed identities of more than 70 law clerks hired by D.C. Circuit judge Karen Henderson, only ONE a woman. She regrets the "impression" she only hires men. Revealing story on what is constantly called 2nd highest court in land, via
@amarimow
Link to tweet
= new reply since forum marked as read
Maybe because many of them ARE "GOP"? 
Like...
John Yoo
Thomas Sowell
Henry Kissinger (yes he is still alive and is 98 years old 
)
I'm not surprised. I imagine that mostly men are in charge. Some people love power because they can use it as a weapon. 
