Susan Kesick Censured

Susan L. Kesick, a justice of the Ulster Town Court in New York since 2006, was censured by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct for creating a hostile work environment and misusing her judicial title. The Commission found that in July 2023, after a dispute with a part-time court clerk over overtime pay, Kesick acted discourteously toward the employee and improperly sought police assistance to remove the clerk from the courthouse. The following day, Kesick emailed town officials attempting to have the clerk fired, and during a subsequent personnel meeting disclosed confidential information about the clerk. The Commission also found Kesick used a personal email address referencing her judicial title -- "slkjudge@" -- for personal matters including online shopping and bill payments. Kesick agreed to the jointly recommended censure, acknowledged her conduct was improper, and committed to working collegially with court staff going forward.