Arizona's state's court system is stepping up efforts against sexual harassment involving judges and court employees.
An order signed Wednesday by Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Scott Bales adopts policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment in the workplace, mandates reporting of violations, requires investigations and says judges and court managers must provide educational opportunities about rights and processes.
Also, presiding judges in all 15 counties must review their courts' own county-level policies.
Some of the provisions were included in a 1992 policy , but Bales said in an interview Saturday that "the cascading reports" in late 2017 of sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry and elsewhere in society prompted a fresh look.
Bales said the results of Arizona's review include a broader prohibition on harassment while "giving particular attention to sexual harassment."
