February, 19 2020, 11:00pm EDT
After Debate, Women's Group Continues Demand for Bloomberg to Release Women from NDAs for Sexual Harassment and Workplace Abuse
UltraViolet Urges the DNC to Block Presidential Candidates with Active NDA’s for Sexual Harassment and Workplace Abuse from Debate Stage
WASHINGTON
At last night's Democratic presidential debate in Nevada, Sen. Elizabeth Warren led the charge demanding that Michael Bloomberg release women who alleged sexism and misogynistic behavior from non-disclosure agreements they signed with his company, and allow them to tell stories of their experiences in their own words. Bloomberg refused. Earlier in the day yesterday, The Nation published the Bloomberg campaign's nondisclosure agreement that could prevent staffers from reporting workplace abuse and discrimination.
This morning, Shaunna Thomas, co-founder and president of UltraViolet Action, a leading national women's group, continued its call for Bloomberg, and all other presidential candidates to release current and former employees seeking relief from NDA's pertaining to sexual harassment and workplace abuse, and urged the DNC to block presidentital candidates with active NDA's from taking part in the next debate:
"Michael Bloomberg's shameful public refusal to release former Bloomberg employees from non-disclosure agreements pertaining to sexual harassment and workplace abuse should be a wake up call to all 2020 Democratic presidential primary and caucus voters. Forcing people who have endured harassment or abuse to stay silent for the sake of saving face on the campaign trail is unacceptable. Warren was right to challenge Bloomberg on his refusal to do so - pointing out that the only way to know what truly happened, would be to let these individuals tell their stories in their own words.
"This goes beyond Bloomberg, every single presidential candidate should not only release all current and former employees who seek relief from NDAs in cases regarding workplace sexual harassment and abuse, but push for the companies or organization's they've led to do the same. We don't need any surprises in the 2020 election - and the Democratical National Committee should require, as a matter of policy, all presidential candidates to release all former and current employees from non-disclosure agreements related to sexual harassment, assault or discrimination as a prerequisite for getting on the next Democratic presidential primary debate stage.
"If candidates have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear. Bloomberg's refusal to release former employees from nondisclosure agreements is a clear indication of the skeletons in his closet; and we deserve to know who else is hiding behind these insidious legal agreements."
Last year, UltraViolet, in conjunction with workplace abuse prevention experts from Works in Progress and PB Work Solutions, released a set of recommendations and guidelines for all 2020 Democratic presidential candidates to use to prevent and respond to workplace harassment and sexual violence within their campaigns.
In the recommendations, the groups argued that campaigns should not require as a condition of employment nondisclosure agreements relating to harassment or employee misconduct nor require forced arbitration in order to adjudicate matters related to harassment or employee misconduct.
VIEW THE LETTER AND RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES HERE: weareultraviolet.org/guidelines
UltraViolet is a powerful and rapidly growing community of people mobilized to fight sexism and create a more inclusive world that accurately represents all women, from politics and government to media and pop culture.
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