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The following press release, announcing former WWE employee Janel Grant, who has an active lawsuit against the company and Vince McMahon regarding abuse she allegedly suffered and McMahon's non-payment of an agreement between the two, will be publicly speaking next week in Connecticut at an event calling for reform to prevent NDAs from being used to silence the survivors of abuse. Grant has stated that her NDA with McMahon was done to prevent her from speaking publicly about alleged abuse she suffered under McMahon.
Advocates and Survivors Call for Legislative Action to Codify PREA and Reform Non-Disclosure Agreement Laws to Protect Survivors of Sexual Violence in Connecticut
Hartford, CT — Survivors, advocates, legislators and state leaders will gather at the Legislative Office Building at 10 am on February 19th to call on the legislature to codify the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) into state law and to reform state non-disclosure agreement (NDA) policies that have been used to silence survivors and conceal abuse.
The event will feature survivors Janel Grant and Alex Brown sharing their lived experiences, alongside advocates, state leaders and policy makers urging legislative action to strengthen protections for incarcerated survivors and ensure transparency and accountability across systems.
“Survivors deserve safety, dignity and the right to be heard – no matter where the harm occurs,” said Beth Hamilton, Executive Director of the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, who is hosting the event. “Codifying PREA into state law ensures consistent standards, oversight, and access to reporting and services for incarcerated survivors, while NDA reform prevents contracts from being used to hide abuse or retaliate against those who speak out.”
Advocates and survivor are calling for changes to state NDA laws to prevent the use of confidentiality provisions that silence survivors of sexual violence, harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Reforming non-disclosure agreement laws ensures that survivors’ rights to speak about harm are enforceable, consistent, and not dependent on the relative power of an employer or institution. Updating state law transforms confidentiality from a tool of coercion into a survivor-centered choice by closing loopholes that allow retaliation, secrecy, and repeated harm.
“Too often, NDAs protect institutions with power rather than people who were harmed. Updating our laws restores balance and accountability and puts survivor safety and transparency first,” said Senator Julie Kushner.
“We are all more vulnerable to coercive control than we realize. Coercive control happens in increments, and entire industries are built on systems of coercive control. Tools such as NDAs can be used to ominously justify anything, and even turn a life into someone else’s
storyline, keeping even those who have not signed confidentiality agreements working in fear. Any system that sacrifices people, whether current or former employees, at the expense of safety and human dignity, is dangerous, if not impossible, for someone to ‘leave.’ I’m not alone in living a life looking over my shoulder. Evolving systems and holistic change in how we address sexual violence remains painfully slow. I am here to be a part of the solution and give a voice to people in Connecticut who are living and working in fear. I want to empower others with information in the hopes that we can create a better and safer world,” said Janel Grant, whose NDA with WWE has impacted her ability to address sexual violence.
Governor Lamont included codifying PREA in his priorities this session. Senate Bill 89 An Act Updating Prison Rape Elimination Standards would adopt National Prison Rape Elimination Act standards as of January 1, 2024 and make them fully enforceable in Connecticut.
Codifying PREA into state law ensures that protections against sexual abuse in custody are enforceable, consistent, and not dependent on administrative policy or at the discretion of federal leadership. Without codification, compliance is uneven, and survivors often lack clear rights or remedies when systems fail. Creating state law transforms PREA from guidance into accountability by closing gaps in reporting, investigation, and access to survivor-centered services.
“Sexual abuse in custody is a systemic failure, and PREA must be enforced in ways survivors can safely access. PREA only works when survivors are believed, protected and supported,” said Alex Brown, a justice-impacted survivor, advocate and professional.
“People in state custody are entirely dependent on the system for their safety. Codifying PREA into state law aZirms that protection from sexual abuse is not discretionary. Clear standards, enforceable rights, and meaningful oversight are essential to preventing harm and maintaining public trust in our correctional institutions,” said Department of Corrections Ombuds DeVaughn Ward.
For more information about The Alliance or services available to survivors of sexual violence in Connecticut, visit www.EndSexualViolenceCT.org.
About The Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence
The Alliance is the state’s coalition of community-based sexual assault crisis service centers, working to increase and protect the rights of survivors while ensuring access to comprehensive, trauma-informed care. Our member centers provide 24/7 crisis intervention through hotlines, counseling, support groups, and in-person accompaniments and advocacy in hospital, police, and court settings. In addition, our legal services team offers no-cost representation to victims in both civil and criminal matters, and our post-conviction victim advocates ensure notification and support for survivors whose offenders are under supervision of the Office of Adult Probation Sex Offender Supervision Unit and the Parole Special Management Unit.
Beyond direct services, The Alliance leads statewide policy and systems-change initiatives to strengthen legal protections, expand access to justice, and uphold the dignity and rights of survivors across Connecticut. For more than 40 years, we have been at the forefront of advancing survivor-centered legislation while providing comprehensive, healing-focused services to child, adolescent, and adult victims of sexual violence.
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