Federal judge acknowledges 'abusive workplace' in court order (NPR)

U.S. District Court Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby is "just the latest in a long line of examples of the outrageous lack of accountability for federal judges who abuse their power by mistreating clerks," LAP’s President and Founder Aliza Shatzman told NPR’s Carrie Johnson. As first reported in NPR, Griggsby acknowledged she created an abusive workplace for staff, according to a Fourth Circuit disciplinary order published earlier this week.

In NPR, Shatzman also pointed out that, disturbingly, both of Griggsby's clerks were reassigned three years ago, but it took years for the court to open an investigation into the judge, potentially exposing more law clerks to mistreatment in the meantime.  

And, Shatzman raised doubts that corrective action like workplace training and meetings - the same meaningless remedies that did not deter Second Circuit Judge Sarah Merriam from mistreating clerks - are sufficient to change the dynamic in a judge's chambers. "Because without meaningful discipline, abusive conduct will persist unabated in the federal courts," Shatzman said.