Workplace Misconduct in Courts

A newly released misconduct order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit shows that an unnamed federal district judge acknowledged creating an atmosphere that 'at times resulted in an abusive workplace' and agreed to corrective measures after a law clerk filed a bullying complaint. The order, signed by Chief Judge Albert Diaz and made public Feb. 10, details allegations that the judge harassed clerks during the COVID pandemic, demanded instant recall on roughly 200 cases per clerk, and subjected them to 'verbal browbeating,' including pounding on a bathroom door and yelling 'that's my bathroom.' Diaz found that clerks feared asking questions and reported health problems they attributed to the stress, and both clerks in the chambers transferred out early, one after just two and a half months. NPR, citing two sources familiar with the process, reports the judge is U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby of Maryland, a 2021 Biden appointee who previously worked at DOJ and on Capitol Hill. The judge cooperated and agreed to meet with a mentor judge, attend annual workplace training and inform future clerks they can go directly to the chief judge with concerns, while the case spotlights ongoing criticism that federal judges are largely policed by an opaque system that leaves clerks outside normal anti‑discrimination laws and chills formal complaints.