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Survivor testimony, legal advocates push bill to bar retaliatory defamation suits after sexual-assault disclosures
Summary
SB 180 would prohibit retaliatory defamation suits against people who, without malice and with a reasonable belief, communicate about incidents of sexual assault, harassment or discrimination. Survivors, attorneys and advocacy groups urged the committee to pass the bill to protect people who disclose abuse online or to friends.
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard extensive emotional testimony Feb. 27 on SB 180, a bill that would prohibit civil defamation suits filed in retaliation against individuals who, without malice and with a reasonable belief, communicate about incidents of sexual assault, harassment or discrimination.
Why it matters: Witnesses said current law leaves survivors exposed to civil litigation that can be used to silence them. Advocates described the financial and emotional toll of defending defamation claims and urged a statutory safe harbor for disclosures made in good faith.
Survivor testimony: Maya (Em) Connes, who was a teenager when she disclosed an assault on Snapchat, recounted being served with a $500,000 defamation…
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