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Congress Approves Bill to Ban Arbitration Agreements in Sexual Abuse Claims

HeadlineFeb 14, 2022

The Senate advanced a major piece of workplace legislation last Thursday that advocates say is a milestone in the #MeToo movement. Passed with bipartisan support, it bans companies from forcing workers to settle sexual harassment and assault claims in forced arbitration — a usually secretive and costly process. This is New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, one of the bill’s sponsors.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: “The bill is going to help fix a broken system that protects perpetrators and corporations, and ends the days of silencing survivors. No longer will survivors of sexual assault or harassment in the workplace come forward and be told that they are legally forbidden to sue their employer because somewhere buried in their employment contracts was this forced arbitration clause. The Ending Forced Arbitration in Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act will void all forced arbitration provisions for sexual assault and harassment, allowing them to have their day in court.”

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