The US House Judiciary Committee heard testimony Thursday from victims of sexual harassment in the federal judiciary.

One attorney, Olivia Warren, described her experience with sexual harassment while working for the late Judge Stephen Reinhardt.

In her prepared remarks, Warren noted how sexual harassment can also be linked to other forms of discriminatory actions, such as homophobia: “Judge Reinhardt only contemplated the attractiveness of women through the male gaze, and at times he used homophobic slurs: for example, a gay female clerk was repeatedly referred to by the judge as a ‘dykester,’ which he found funny.”

Warren also expressed hope that the testimony of herself and others will prevent this type of harassment in the legal workplace and beyond: “In closing, I hope that my testimony today helps law clerks and other judiciary employees who have similarly suffered sexual harassment or other misconduct while working in the judiciary to feel more able to speak about their experiences.”