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On May 11, before U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson of the Northern District of Florida sentenced former U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent of the Southern District of Texas to 33 months in federal prison on a charge of obstruction of justice, Kent's former case manager, Cathy McBroom, read this statement in court. In 2007, McBroom filed a complaint against Kent with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and in 2008, a federal grand jury indicted Kent based on allegations in McBroom's complaint. The statement has been edited for length and style. [See "A Different Kind of Bar."]
My name is Cathy McBroom. I am the victim referred to as Person A in the indictment against Judge Samuel B. Kent. When I think of the events leading up to his conviction, I am consumed with emotion. Even though I have been able to move on in both my personal life and my career, I am forever scarred by what happened to me in Galveston.
First I want everyone to know that I value my position and count it an honor to be serving the public in my capacity as a case manager. Both the judges and the clerk's office have shown me the utmost consideration and respect since my transfer and I'm very grateful for that. My statement regarding my experiences with Judge Kent should in no way be a reflection of other judges or the justice system as a whole.
The abuse began after Judge Kent returned to work intoxicated. He attacked me in a small room not 10 feet from the command center where the court security officers worked. He tried to undress me and force himself upon me, while I begged him to stop. He told me he didn't care if the officers could hear him because he knew everyone was afraid of him. I later found out that was true, and for very good reason. He had the power to end careers and affect everyone's livelihood. The incident left me emotionally wrecked and humiliated. It was difficult to face co-workers when I knew they saw what had happened.
I told my husband about the incident immediately, and he was horrified. He told me to resign and just go back to working at a law firm. I was more stubborn than that. I'm 50 years old and had worked very hard to finally attain my dream job. Why should I lose my position and benefits just because of a judge who chose to ignore the law? One can imagine the conflict my decision caused at home.
I want to answer the question in everyone's mind. If it was so bad, how were you able to stay for four years? I stayed because each time it happened, he later promised to leave me alone and behave professionally. I so wanted to believe that.
What I didn't know was that behind the scenes he was telling a different story. Now that the truth has been exposed I know so much more about his evil and deliberate manipulation, and I am utterly disgusted. He told his staff members that I was the one who pursued him. He even told his secretary that I would do anything to get her job, which was so far from the truth. He pitted us against each other through his lies and actions. After the criminal investigation began he even bragged about his gift for manipulation, which he thought would save him from conviction. He told people if he had 15 minutes with a jury, he would be exonerated.
There were times that other employees warned me that the judge was intoxicated and that he was asking for me, and during those times, I would refuse to answer my phone, or hide in empty offices. I recently had a court employee ask me "why didn't you just slap him?" When an employee decides to slap a federal judge, she better be ready to lose her job, and end her career. I wasn't ready to walk away. Going back to a law firm might not be easy after being blackballed by a judge. I knew he would do it. I had seen him do it to others.
The last assault was more terrifying and threatening [than] ever before. After forcing himself upon me and asking me to do unspeakable things, he told me that pleasuring him was something I owed him. That was it for me. He had won. He had finally broken me and forced me out. I could handle no more of his abuse. . . .
The effect of this experience has been tremendous. I have suffered anxiety, sleep deprivation, loss of self-esteem, depression, nightmares, and inability to focus. Try learning a new job after being traumatized. Judge Kent told other judges, who I have to face on a daily basis, that it was just an affair gone bad. Being molested and groped by a drunken giant is not my idea of an affair.
I tried to schedule appointments with several attorneys before Rusty Hardin, and they wouldn't even talk to me. Why? No one wants to tangle with a federal judge. Well, almost no one. Thank God that Mr. Hardin agreed to help me.
This problem not only affected me, it affected my family, my friends, and my co-workers. My marriage ultimately failed because I was no longer able to manage my family responsibilities. I was the glue that held the family together and I could no longer function in that capacity. I let everyone down. After having an emotional breakdown at work, a dear friend offered to take me home. For a month she watched over me, fearing that I would become suicidal.
My life suddenly became impossible. Juggling my new work responsibilities with meetings with prosecutors, the FBI, my lawyers, was incredibly stressful. I couldn't just take off from work. Meanwhile, the judge and his staff were enjoying administrative leave (on full pay). Everything I did or said was under a microscope. My financial records, my e-mail accounts, my telephone records, my college transcripts — everything was subpoenaed. One would think I was the criminal. I know without a doubt why most sexual assault victims never complain. Only a strong person can survive this type of scrutiny. Unfortunately, my strength cost me my marriage, my job, and my home. I live in a small townhouse now, with my 16 year old son.
The media attention has been good in one respect, because it has kept this case at the forefront of the public's mind and has raised awareness, but it was not always good for my family. Even though my children have been supportive and mature from the beginning, I cringe when I think of how they must have felt when they read Judge Kent's claims that their mother was "enthusiastically consensual." They remained strong, but I know they were humiliated. . . .
The only reason I could remain courageous was because of the support of my family and close friends, who constantly believed in me and asked me to stay strong. I am so fortunate to have those people in my life. . . .
Judge Vinson, I never expected any kind of compensation for my damages. I only persisted because I wanted to make sure that this judge would not continue to abuse women and manipulate good people for his own selfish reasons. Taking advantage of subordinates is wrong. Claiming consensuality is a very weak response to a claim of sexual assault by a subordinate. Of course I wanted to be a good case manager. Of course I reported to chambers when he called. Of course I was nice to him. I had to be. It was part of my job. Judge Kent took advantage of my good nature and of my willingness to do what he asked of me.
Please hold him accountable for his actions. Impose a sentence that he and others like him won't soon forget. He was given so many gifts and he squandered them. He used his incredible power to his own benefit, and hurt so many people in the process.
