BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A bid to prohibit Louisiana agencies from keeping victims of sexual harassment silent in settlements involving public funds has received backing from House lawmakers.
The House voted 91-0 Monday without debate to send the proposal by Baton Rouge Republican Rep. Franklin Foil to the Senate.
The Advocate reports the measure would ban use of non-disclosure agreements in sexual harassment or sexual assault cases settled with public funds, if the claim is made against a state official or agency.
At least two high-profile Louisiana officials have resigned in recent years amid accusations of sexual harassment.
Settlement of the claim against former Secretary of State Tom Schedler included a non-disclosure agreement. The settlement involving Johnny Anderson, an ex-aide to Gov. John Bel Edwards, included a non-disparagement clause.
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House Bill 197: www.legis.la.gov
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Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com
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