Roberts calls for examination of employee protections from misconduct: report

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is moving to examine how to better protect court employees from sexual misconduct. 

CNN reported Thursday that James Duff, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, sent a memo to federal courts stating that Roberts had directed him “to establish a working group to examine the sufficiency of safeguards currently in place … to protect court employees, including law clerks, from wrongful conduct in the workplace.”

The memo came days after Judge Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit announced his immediate retirement amid an investigation into multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.{mosads}

Duff said in the memo that he plans to report back to Roberts on the review by May 1, according to CNN. 

Kozinski’s resignation and the review ordered by Roberts comes as a number of prominent men in politics, business, media and beyond face allegations of sexual misconduct.

The widespread allegations have prompted calls in Congress and various industries for a crackdown on such behavior.