AGs urge Congress to help protect employees from sexual harassment

Vermont Business MagazineVermont Attorney General TJ Donovan joined a bipartisan coalition of 56 states and territories today urging Congress to end secret, forced arbitration in cases of workplace sexual harassment. Too often employees are required to sign employment contracts containing arbitration agreements mandating that sexual harassment claims be resolved through private arbitration instead of the judicial process. The secrecy surrounding these proceedings can protect serial violators and provide inadequate relief to victims.

“Legislative action can pave the way for victims to seek legal redress in a more fair and open process,” Attorney General Donovan said. “I urge Congress to take this opportunity to protect victims of sexual harassment and put an end to forced arbitration.” The attorneys general sent a letter Monday to leaders in the United States House of Representative and the United States Senate. The letter asks Congress to pass appropriately-tailored legislation to ensure that sexual harassment victims have a right to their day in court.

Attorneys general from the states, D.C. and five U.S. territories joined the letter: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

A copy of the letter is availablehere.

Vermont AG: Feb 12, 2018