NEW YORK — One woman carried a ruler at FBI headquarters so she could smack James Hendricks\u2019 hands when he reached for her legs and breasts. Another went home shaken after he tugged on her ear and kissed her cheek during a closed-door meeting.<\/p>\n
And when Hendricks went on to lead the FBI\u2019s field office in Albany, New York, in 2018, colleagues described him as a \u201cskilled predator\u201d who leered at women in the workplace, touched them inappropriately and asked one to have sex in a conference room, according to a newly released federal report obtained by The Associated Press.<\/p>\n
Hendricks quietly retired last year as a special agent in charge after the Office of Inspector General \u2014 the Justice Department’s internal watchdog \u2014 concluded he sexually harassed eight female subordinates in one of the FBI\u2019s most egregious known cases of sexual misconduct.<\/p>\n
Hendricks was among several senior FBI officials highlighted in an AP investigation last year that found a pattern of supervisors avoiding discipline \u2014 and retiring with full benefits \u2014 even after claims of sexual misconduct against them were substantiated.<\/p>\n
The FBI said it could not discuss Hendricks’ case but that it \u201cmaintains a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual harassment and is committed to fostering a safe work environment where all of our employees are valued, protected and respected.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hendricks, 50, who now writes a law enforcement blog, did not respond to messages seeking comment. He told investigators his accusers had either misinterpreted his actions or exaggerated his behavior, and that he was not sexually attracted to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an ugly, ugly laundry list of things that were said, and that\u2019s really hurtful to me and it really just disappoints me,\u201d he was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
The details of Hendricks\u2019 sexual harassment \u2014 outlined in a 52-page report obtained under the Freedom of Information Act \u2014 have not previously been reported. The OIG blacked out Hendricks\u2019 name in the report, but he was identified by law enforcement officials familiar with his case.<\/p>\n
Drawing on interviews with more than a dozen FBI officials, the report traces Hendricks\u2019 harassment to his time at FBI headquarters, where he served as a section chief in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate. He was tapped in 2018 to lead the Albany field office, where he supervised more than 200 agents and other FBI employees. Six of his accusers were in Albany; two were in Washington.<\/p>\n
Some colleagues chalked up Hendricks\u2019 behavior to his being a \u201cSouthern gentleman\u201d \u2014 he served as a police officer in western Kentucky before joining the bureau in 1998 \u2014 but others said he routinely crossed the line, became \u201csuper giddy\u201d around women and was \u201cincapable of stopping himself\u201d from harassing them.<\/p>\n
Co-workers told investigators he surrounded himself with a \u201charem\u201d of attractive women, was fixated on high heels and breasts, and was known for gawking at female agents as they walked down the hallway.<\/p>\n
In office conversations that involved women, Hendricks would shift his \u201cbody posture and head angle to stare at their breasts and bodies in a manner that was calculated to avoid detection,\u201d the OIG report says. Male and female agents alike told investigators they endured this \u201cas a condition of simply interacting with their boss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even Hendricks\u2019 male colleagues considered him \u201ccreepy\u201d and one described how he simulated masturbation once when an attractive woman left the room. But like many female agents, they did not report him for fear of retaliation.<\/p>\n
Hendricks once asked a female subordinate to sit in the passenger seat of a vehicle \u201cso that I can play with that beautiful hair.\u201d He later asked the same woman why she didn\u2019t wear shorts to the office and she said \u201cbecause that would be inappropriate.” The woman said she didn\u2019t report Hendricks because all of her work required his approval and \u201cshe wanted to be successful in the office.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another woman told investigators that Hendricks pressured her into having a sexual relationship, and that he had been known to be vindictive and \u201cpush out\u201d people who crossed him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was in a powerful position,\u201d the report says, \u201cand she worried about what he would do if she did not respond to his advances.\u201d<\/p>\n
FBI policy permits supervisors to pursue sexual relationships with subordinates but requires them be disclosed so management \u201cmay determine whether remedial action, such as reassignment, is necessary to prevent interference with the FBI\u2019s mission.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Office of Inspector General, however, said \u201cthe imbalance of power between superiors and subordinates could call into question the consensual nature of romantic or intimate relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n