Federal judge in Alaska resigns as investigation confirms allegations of sexual misconduct

Three days after Alaska federal judge Joshua Kindred abruptly announced his resignation, the Judicial Council said Monday he was asked to do so after an investigation found he had an inappropriate “sexualized relationship” with a court employee and created a hostile work environment for others.

In a 30-page ruling, the council said Kindred bombarded his staff with hundreds of text messages during his four years as a federal judge that contained “crude, sexual, personal and vulgar messages” about his and their personal lives. He also had sexual encounters in his office and at his temporary home with a staff member who would later become a federal prosecutor.