Murphy signs measure barring gag orders for workplace sexual harassment cases.

Byline: Jessica Perry

New Jersey will be one of the first states to ban employers from using non-disclosures in workplace sexual harassment agreements, a mechanism which proponents say has been to silence victims of sexual assault in the workplace.

Senate Bill 121, which Gov. Phil Murphy signed Monday afternoon, was introduced in 2018 on the heels of the #MeToo movement. It bans the use of non-disclosure agreements in workplace sexual harassment settlements, meaning the employer has no legal authority to keep the terms of any settlement quiet.

The legislation would prevent any such NDAs in the future and nullify any existing agreements. The #MeToo movement highlighted many instances of employers using NDAs to silence victims of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.

"Non-disclosure agreements have, for a long time, been used to silence and intimidate the victims of sexual assault and harassment," Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-37th District and a key sponsor of the bill, said Monday in a statement.

"Too many victims have been forced to suffer in silence for far too long, leaving abusers to continue to prey on countless women with impunity," Weinberg...