Happening now in Texas: Cindy Clemishire, whose disclosures led to the indictment of megachurch pastor Robert Morris, is testifying in favor of a bill that'd ban NDAs in settlements for sexual abuse lawsuits.
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"Silence in exchange for money" is the entire point of settlement. Take away the silence, there is no point to pay the money. May as well just ban settlement for sex abuse. Make everyone take it to trial to get paid.
Rep. Mitch Little also sitting in on this committee, decrying the "soul murder" of clergy abuse. Little represented the family who sued The Village, a Dallas-area megachurch, after their daughter was abused by a church leader.
Holy shi balls I went to high school with him, and didn't realize he was in politics. Looks like he's usually on the wrong side of things, but I'm glad he's in the right here
Little also just cited our work at the Houston Chronicle, calling the Southern Baptist Convention's abuse problem "prolific" and saying that NDAs have been crucial to allowing repeat offenders.
Testimony begins with Elizabeth Phillips, whose brother Trey committed suicide after settling a civil lawsuit against Kanakuk Kamps that included an NDA - and made it almost impossible for him to talk about his abuse. The bill is being named "Trey's law."
Phillips: "The law on NDAs must be clarified because we cannot trust institutions to do the right thing... Shame dies when stories are told in safe places.... NDAs are for trade secrets, not trauma secrets."
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