California Enacts a Privileged Communication Law Regarding Sexual Harassment Claims

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, many states have been making concerted efforts to address and prevent sexual harassment through proposed legislation. On July 9, California Governor Jerry Brown signed one of those proposals, Assembly Bill 2770, into law. This measure targets defamation claims stemming from sexual harassment allegations. Under the law, certain employee and employer statements regarding sexual harassment allegations are deemed privileged and therefore cannot be used to support a defamation claim.