A federal judge has given a woman who was allegedly groped by an administrative law judge a second chance at filing a civil suit against the United States for failing to protect against the alleged assaults.

U.S. District Judge Robert D. Mariani of the Middle District of Pennsylvania on March 26 dismissed plaintiff Florence Gaffney's suit for failure to state a claim against the government, but ultimately granted her leave to file an amended complaint. The ruling in Gaffney v. United States also denied the government's attempts to toss the case on sovereign immunity grounds.

The crux of Gaffney's case against the government is that the government's agents or employees failed to protect her from the conduct of Social Security Administrative Law Judge Sridhar Boini, who allegedly fondled her breasts, made sexual gestures using his tongue and mouth, and routinely drank alcohol during work hours.