U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Kindred of Alaksa has stepped down over allegations of sexual misconduct as part of an on-going investigation.
Kindred allegedly engaged in an “inappropriately sexualized relationship” with a law clerk, according to an NBC News report published earlier this week.
The Judicial Council of the 9th Circuit outlined the reasons for Kindred’s resignation in a scathing court order.
“We conclude that Judge Kindred’s misconduct was pervasive and abusive, constituted sexual harassment, and fostered a hostile work environment that took a personal and professional toll on multiple clerks,” the order read.
The order referred to an incident in October 2022 when the former judge allegedly kissed and groped a former law clerk after she went to work for the U.S. attorney’s office.
In another encounter, the former clerk accused Kindred of “putting his hands on me” and said he performed oral sex on her after asking her to accompany him to an apartment. Kindred had said the incident was consensual.
“It is more than appropriate that Mr. Kindred tendered his resignation. Judges need to be held to the highest standards and Mr. Kindred fell well short of that mark,” Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in a statement.
Based on the Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit’s Order and Certification, it is more than appropriate that Mr. Kindred tendered his resignation. Judges need to be held to the highest of standards and Mr. Kindred fell well short of that mark. I will be working quickly to…
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) July 8, 2024
The investigation included several interviews with former colleagues of Kindred’s and many pages of text messages documenting instances in which he allegedly behaved inappropriately with other employees.
Investigators found that he “had no hesitation in using language that was inappropriate in a professional setting, such as encouraging rating people based on ‘f***ability,’ stating that he was not ‘hoe-ignorant,’ or telling stories about ‘giving b*** jobs in a hot tub.’”
“In the few instances where clerks came to Judge Kindred to discuss his inappropriate behavior, they were belittled or ostracized, and, in one instance, a clerk left the clerkship,” the order states.