A prominent US appeals court judge announced his immediate retirement on Monday following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Alex
Kozinski, 67, who served on the powerful San Francisco-based US Court
of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, was accused of inappropriate behaviour
by at least 15 former clerks and staffers.
The
Romanian-born Kozinski is the highest-ranking jurist ensnared in a
swirling nationwide reckoning on sexual harassment and abuse, which has
toppled a number of powerful men in entertainment, politics and the
media.
Several women accused the powerful judge of
touching them inappropriately, while others said he had made them watch
pornography on his computer.
“I've always had a broad
sense of humour and a candid way of speaking to both male and female law
clerks alike,” Kozinski said in a statement.
“In doing
so, I may not have been mindful enough of the special challenges and
pressures that women face in the workplace,” he said.
“It grieves me to learn that I caused any of my clerks to feel uncomfortable; this was never my intent.
“For this, I sincerely apologise,” he said.
