AG Brnovich Joins Bipartisan Coalition Urging Congress to Help Protect Employees from Sexual Harassment

PHOENIX - Attorney General Mark Brnovich 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.

“If we truly want to stop sexual harassment in the workplace, we need to eliminate forced arbitration which silences victims and shrouds sexual harassment claims and settlements in secrecy,” said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. “Access to the judicial system is a fundamental right of all Americans and victims of sexual harassment have a right to their day in court."

The letter sent Monday to leaders in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate asks Congress to pass appropriately-tailored legislation to ensure that sexual harassment victims have a right to their day in court.

“Congress today has both opportunity and cause to champion the rights of victims of sexual harassment in the workplace by enacting legislation to free them from the injustice of forced arbitration and secrecy when it comes to seeking redress from egregious misconduct condemned by all concerned Americans,” states the letter.

In addition to Arizona, attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, 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, America Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands joined the letter.

Full copy of the letter.