SEN. KUSHNER PLEDGES TO RAISE NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT BILL THIS SESSION

HARTFORD – Speaking today at a press conference on protecting the survivors of sexual abuse in the workplace and in prison, state Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) pledged to raise a bill this session in the Labor and Public Employees Committee that would limit the use of non-disclosure agreements in Connecticut.

The bill will receive its public hearing on March 3.

Sen. Kushner vowed to raise the bill at a press conference today organized by the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, which is advocating this session to end nondisclosure agreements and to codify the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act into state law. The event featured a survivor of prison sexual abuse and a woman who is suing World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and others for sexual abuse, and who was later forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

“If the legislature fails to pass this bill this year, then we’re simply perpetuating the sexual abuse of women in the workplace. It’s that simple,” Sen. Kushner said. “When victims are silenced with NDAs, the perpetrator is never brought to justice, and they just continue their abuse. There’s no question that this is a critical piece of legislation this year, and that this is the year we need to get it done.”

Nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) between a company and an employee typically restrict employees from sharing business trade secrets and confidential information, but they can also be used to prevent employees from reporting fraud, insider trading, or sexual abuse. In such instances, the perpetrators of these crimes are never reported or prosecuted and may simply be shuffled off to another company to abuse more people.