An ex-federal defender, Caryn Strickland, recently embarked on a civil trial that scrutinizes how misconduct allegations are managed. Regarded as a rare insight into the handling of such claims, this case started Monday.
Strickland alleges her sexual harassment complaint directed at her chief was mishandled and as a result, laid her case against federal judiciary officials. After claiming harassment while at her former employment within the federal defenders’ office for the Western District of North Carolina, she contends her due process rights were violated. The origin of this violation, Strickland alleges, lies in the supposed mishandling of the Employment Dispute Resolution process. This is the federal judiciary’s system for resolving work-related misconduct allegations.
Strickland filed her lawsuit almost three years ago and her case was presented at the federal court in Asheville, North Carolina on the initial day of the civil trial. Please visit Bloomberg Law for more details on the trial.