Congress approves sex harassment bill in #MeToo milestone

By MICHELLE L. PRICE
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Congress has given final approval to legislation guaranteeing that people who experience sexual harassment at work can seek recourse in the courts. It’s a milestone for the #MeToo movement that prompted a national reckoning on the way sexual misconduct claims are handled in the U.S. The measure is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden. It bars employment contracts from forcing people to settle sexual assault or harassment cases through arbitration rather than in court. Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York spearheaded the legislation. She calls it “one of the most significant workplace reforms in American history.”