The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice—in the courts, in public policy, and in our society.
Knouse v. Sabatini
National Women’s Law Center and Legal Momentum, together with Holland & Knight LLP and 31 advocacy organizations, have submitted an amicus brief in Knouse v. Sabatini. This appeal is about whether a reported harasser’s defamation suit against a woman who reported him can be immediately dismissed under Massachusetts anti-Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation law. Our brief first educates the court on the ubiquity of sexual harassment; that it is dramatically underreported, in part due to concern about retaliation; and that harassers are increasingly weaponizing defamation lawsuits precisely to retaliate against and chill reporting. Second, we discuss why statements made in the context of employers’ sexual-harassment investigations, like the harassment report here, are—and need to be—protected under Massachusetts law.


