Los Angeles, Calif. , March 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Silenced No More Foundation and Founder Stephanie Van de Motter, are praising legislators in the state of Washington for passing the Silenced No More Act and expanding the reach of whistleblower protections.
House Bill 1795 bans employers from using non-disclosure agreements to prevent workers from talking about harassment, discrimination, retaliation, sexual assault and wage violations at workplaces in Washington. It mirrors a version of bill SB 331 that first passed in California last year and was enacted statewide this January. Now Washington has become the second state to pass the legislation, laying the groundwork for other states to follow. HB 1795 is on the way to Governor Jay Inslee’s desk for signature.
“In pivotal moments like these it's important to mark the contribution of the trailblazers that work tirelessly and without reserve to create the change they wish to see,” said Van de Motter. “We would not be where we are now without State Rep. Liz Berry (D-Seattle), who introduced the House version of this bill, and Sen. Karen Keiser (D-WA), who introduced a version of the bill to the Senate."
Van de Motter added: “The new Washington legislation aims to empower workers to find their voice and use it – unincumbered by fear or fine print. It will allow any worker that has survived inappropriate or illegal misconduct at work to speak truth to power and share their experience, if they so choose. The bill builds on the existing #MeToo-era legislation that Senator Keiser also helped to sponsor and serves as a catalyst to demand a positive shift in workplace culture.”
Both the Senate and House versions of the bill were inspired by the Silenced No More Act in California, which drew upon the experience by Ifeoma Ozoma and Aerica Shimizu Banks, former Pinterest employees who, in recent years, alleged experiencing discrimination and retaliation at work.
Van de Motter knows well the personal and professional tolls that come with speaking up in the workplace. In 2020, she became the first person to have won a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against The Irvine Company, one of the most powerful real estate companies in the country owned by America's richest real estate baron, Donald Bren.
Prior to blowing the whistle, Van de Motter worked with The Irvine Company, as property manager at the its flagship luxury building in Santa Monica, where celebrities like Britney Spears, Larry David, and others lived. Her livelihood came to an abrupt halt as she was retaliated against, and ultimately “constructively discharged,” for reporting numerous fire and building safety code violations that endangered residents’ lives while the company was attempting to remediate systemic water intrusion and mold issues. Van de Motter won her lawsuit though she has not yet been able to collect on the compensation she was awarded by an arbitrator.
To learn more about the Silenced No More Foundation or Stephanie Van de Motter’s story, visit www.silencednomore.org.
About the Silenced No More Foundation
The Silenced No More Foundation is the first of its kind peer-to-peer online support network for employee whistleblowers and victims of workplace harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Inspired by California's Silenced No More Act, the Foundation provides employee whistleblowers with helpful resources, guidance, and emotional support needed to navigate their difficult journeys. By helping employees understand the whistleblowing process, the Silenced No More Foundation empowers them to defend their rights and hold companies and individuals accountable for all illegal activity at work.
About Stephanie Van de Motter
Stephanie Van de Motter is the first person to have ever won a whistleblower retaliation and harassment lawsuit against The Irvine Company, the largest landowner in California owned by America's richest real estate baron Donald Bren. For years she managed their star-studded flagship property at 1221 Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. When she reported numerous building and fire safety code violations that endangered residents’ lives, the company retaliated against her. Van de Motter lost her job, her career, and her peace of mind. Van de Motter is still attempting to collect the compensation awarded to her by court in 2020, but Irvine Company has blocked all her efforts. Van de Motter currently resides in Santa Monica, California.
