Long before the hashtag #MeToo became part of the national vernacular, corporations commonly wielded an effective weapon to keep workplace sexual harassment under wraps— the non-disclosure agreement. These NDA’s are designed to protect high profile executives from embarrassing publicity surrounding an accusation of sexual misconduct, while providing victims compensation for their suffering. But there’s a catch. After signing the deal, the accusers are prohibited from telling their story publicly or risk harsh penalties.
Over the past year, an avalanche of #MeToo complaints surfaced which involved powerful men accused of sexual harassment, who kept their jobs and continued harassing female employees. Secret settlements in sex offense cases are a major reason why predators—whether it’s Bill O’Reilly, Harvey Weinstein or even Bill Cosby—were able to hide sexual harassment or assault for so many years.
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