Press Release: Federal Bipartisan Legislation to End Forced Arbitration in Sexual Harassment and Abuse Cases Advances in the House Judiciary Committee
For Immediate Release: November 18th, 2021
Contact: JON CARVALHO
PRESS RELEASE:
Federal Bipartisan Legislation to End Forced Arbitration in Sexual Harassment and Abuse Cases Advances in the House Judiciary Committee
WASHINGTON, DC, November 18, 2021 – On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee voted to advance the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 (H.R. 4445) to the House floor with bipartisan support. This federal legislation, sponsored by Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), would eliminate forced arbitration clauses that silence survivors of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.
On November 4, The Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 (S.2342) was advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee with strong bipartisan support.
Journalist and advocate Gretchen Carlson, who co-founded the nonprofit Lift Our Voices to advocate for ending the use of nondisclosure agreements and forced arbitration clauses in cases of workplace harassment and abuse, has spearheaded the passage of this legislation since 2017 and was on Capitol Hill for today’s hearing. Carlson issued the following statement about H.R. 4445:
“Today’s news means both houses of Congress will soon vote on banning forced arbitration clauses when it comes to sexual harassment and assault. By eliminating this silencing mechanism, harassment and assault survivors can speak openly about their experiences and are able to own their own stories. I want to thank the members of the House Judiciary Committee for advancing this critical legislation and for taking this crucial step towards making the American workplace safer for all workers.”
ABOUT LOV
Lift Our Voices was launched in December 2019 to create positive, systemic change in American workplaces through the eradication of nondisclosure agreements for toxic work issues and mandatory arbitration clauses. Created and launched by Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky, and Diana Falzone, LOV’s mission is to protect American workers by giving those in toxic work environments the freedom to speak freely about their workplace experiences and free them from the laws and business practices that prevent employees from publicly discussing toxic workplace conditions.
For more information on Lift Our Voices, visit https://www.liftourvoices.org/ and visit their Facebook and Twitter pages.