By Darrell Camp | March 2, 2022
Of the seven bills proposed, Sen. Andrew Gounardes, D-Brooklyn, carries four of them.
His first bill bans the use of “No-rehire” clauses in settlement agreements involving sexual harassment. The second extends the statute of limitations for reporting sexual harassment from 3 years to 6 years.
“As we’ve learned all too well and all too painfully, sometimes it takes a while for people to come forward and speak their truths,” Gounardes said. “We should not place an artificial cap on an individual’s ability to seek recourse in the courts.”
The third bill sponsored by Gounardes would make it illegal for an employer to release the personnel record of a person as a form of retaliation for a report of sexual harassment, or a whistleblower complaint.
His fourth bill would close what Gounardes called the “License to Harass Loophole”. That proposal creates a uniform sexual harassment standard under the Human Rights Law for all public and private employees, including those who hold public office.