Massachusetts judge resigns following suspension for ‘pinching’ court worker’s butt

A Bay State judge resigned on Monday, only a few days after being suspended for grabbing and pinching a court worker’s butt cheek.

Judge Paul Sushchyk, who was appointed to the state Probate and Family Court in 2018, resigned his post in a brief letter to Gov. Charlie Baker.

“Dear Governor Baker: Please be advised that, effective March 28, 2022, I hereby resign my office as an Associate Justice of the Probate and Family Court,” wrote Sushchyk, who lives in Sterling.

Last week, the state Supreme Judicial Court found that Sushchyk had “engaged in an intentional, nonconsensual, and unwelcome touching of a trial court employee” and lied to the court about it.

The SJC suspended Sushchyk and recommended he stay that way long enough for the state to asertain whether he should keep his job. It further recommended that he be liable for the costs of the investigation. Sushchyk had made a base salary of $184,693 per year, according to Herald payroll records.

Judges and some employees of the court, including the victim, were required to attend a conference at Ocean Edge Resort and Golf Club in Brewster as one of their bi-annual conferences.

That two-day event included a hotel stay at state expense. The resort’s booking site shows rooms starting at $144 for one bedroom a night, and up to $1,265 a night for a three-bedroom villa.

Conference work ended at around 3 p.m. that first day, April 25, 2019. The victim went to Bayzo’s Pub in the resort’s basement following the 7 p.m. conference dinner to have a drink and chat with three other women at the conference. At around 9 p.m., Sushchyk approached the high-top table to talk with one of the other women sitting there.

“OMG. I think one of the judges grabbed my butt on purpose,” the victim texted her sister after the incident, according to the ruling. “He’s also carrying a hip flask, so maybe just fell? Except it was a distinct pinch.”

The ruling adds the victim texted: “(A)t the bar after dinner one of the newer judges full palmed my (expletive). Kinda thought maybe it was a mistake until today he spent the day hovering uncomfortably around me.”

Sushchyk in his formal response to the allegations said he was “unsteady” on his feet. He claimed that he had consumed one drink, but the victim said he took a pull from a silver flask right after the grope.

The judge wrote, “I recall that as I began to pass by (the victim), to steady myself, I placed my hand in the direction of her chair and came into momentary contact with a portion of her lower body.”