Courts in the Era of #WeToo

Assisting Judges and Court Professionals to Respond to Sexual Harassment and Abuse in the Court as a Workplace

Our Purpose

To develop and deliver nationally significant educational programs and guidance focused on sexual harassment and assault, including actions targeted against LGBTQ+ individuals in the courts, and
Provide distance learning opportunities to broaden the opportunities for education on this topic to judges, court managers, administrators, and other court professionals.

Our Partners

In Winter of 2019, the State Justice Institute (SJI) funded the National Association for Court Management (NACM) to implement their proposed Courts in the Era of #WeToo curriculum project. NACM partnered with NCJFCJ, the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ), and Futures Without Violence (Futures) to develop a curriculum that was informed by the experience of judges and court managers, built around proven adult-learning principles, and responsive to current issues and real leadership challenges.

Introduction to the Curriculum

The partners developed a curriculum which is designed to be taught by a teaching team (ideally consisting of at least one judge and one court administrator) in three 3-hour modules. The curriculum is organized around the following modules:

#WeTooAdvisory Committee

National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ)

The Honorable Marcella Holland, Senior Judge, Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland

National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ)

The Honorable Sheva Simms, Judge, Shreveport City Court, Louisiana

National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ)

The Honorable Elizabeth Allen White, Judge, Superior Court of California County of Los Angeles

National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ)

The Honorable Pam Washington, Judge, Third Judicial District of Alaska

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)

The Honorable Berryl Anderson, Chief Judge, DeKalb County Magistrate Court, Georgia

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)

The Honorable Darlene Byrne, Chief Justice, Third Court of Appeals of Texas

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)

The Honorable Judge Lori Dumas, Judge, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)

The Honorable Judge Ramona Gonzalez, Presiding Judge, State of Wisconsin Circuit Court

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)

The Honorable Doug Johnson, (retired) Judge, Douglas County Separate Juvenile Court, Nebraska

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)

The Honorable Susan Maven, Judge, Atlantic County Civil Courts, New Jersey

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)

The Honorable Katherine Judge Tennyson, (Retired) Judge, Multnomah County Circuit Court, Oregon

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)

The Honorable Erik Pitchal, Judge, Family Court of the City of New York, New York

National Association for Court Management (NACM)

T.J. BeMent, District Court Administrator, 10^th Judicial District, Georgia

National Association for Court Management (NACM)

Jeffrey Tsunekawa, Director of Research and Court Services, Texas Office of Court Administration

National Association for Court Management (NACM)

Paul DeLosh, Director of Judicial Services, Office of the Executive Secretary, Supreme Court of Virginia

In-Person Training Materials

Module 1: Fundamentals of Sexual Harassment Affecting Judicial Environments

Sexual Harassment & Its Impact on Judicial Operations and Culture
Root Causes: Power & Control in Judicial Environments
Module 1 Curriculum
Module 1 Ethics
Module 1 Handouts
Module 1 Slides

Module 2: Preventing & Responding to Sexual Harassment in Judicial Environments

Eliminating the Drivers of Sexual Harassment in Judicial Environments
Centering Needs & Promoting Accountability
Module 2 Curriculum
Module 2 Ethics
Module 2 Handouts
Module 2 Slides

Module 3: Leadership Strategies to Create & Sustain a Culture of Safety, Respect, & Dignity

Principles of Self-Awareness, Reciprocal Accountability, & Emotional Intelligence
Judicial Environments as Community Models
Module 3 Curriculum
Module 3 Ethics
Module 3 Video
Module 3 Slides

In addition, the #WeToo partners trained six teams of trainers to use the curriculum with the expectation that they would be willing and available to train colleagues in their home states and across the country. The #WeToo Curriculum can be provided virtually and in-person.