Emma Phillips: We cannot insist that sexual assault survivors ‘go public’
Last week, Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, two of the journalists responsible for exposing sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein and triggering the #MeToo movement, revealed how the feminist lawyer mother-daughter duo, Gloria Allred and Lisa Bloom, were themselves complicit in protecting Mr. Weinstein. In particular, Ms. Twohey and Ms. Kantor decry the use of “non-disclosure agreements,” or NDAs, a legal contract which guarantees that the complainant will keep her allegations confidential in exchange for a monetary settlement. NDA’s are, indeed, an ugly instrument. But what Ms. Twohey and Ms. Kantor miss is that going public with allegations of sexual harassment isn’t the right option for everyone.
In a Globe and Mail op-ed published today, Emma Phillips comments on the criticisms leveled at the use of non-disclosure agreements in sexual abuse and harassment cases.