Concealing sexual harassment lawsuit settlements just got a bit tougher for agencies supported with federal funds.

Last month, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey reportedly initiated a bill that would require federally-funded agencies to report sexual harassment settlements. He says the bill is in response to the Philadelphia Housing Authority's sexual harassment scandal, which we reported in our March 16 post.

The PHA had allegedly failed to report harassment settlements to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The director of the PHA, who was targeted in the lawsuits, was fired last fall after the board discovered three settlements against him.

Casey says federal funds should not be used to conceal sexual harassment. Under the bill, agencies receiving federal funds over $5,000 would be required to terminate employees proven to have engaged in sexual harassment in the workplace. Likewise, the agency would be required to report any settlements to the office that issued the federal funds, as well as members of congress.

In addition, any agency found to have violated policies could be fined, or cut off from federal funding. However, before that could happen, the federal department would be required to file a report in congress.

According to sources, the bill is designed to cover all branches of local government. However, some parts of the bill are already covered by local rules, including state contracts in Pennsylvania that already have sexual harassment policies.

Casey just hopes a scandal similar to the PHA's will not be repeated, noting the bill is designed "to prevent a similar situation." Others believe reporting sexual harassment to the public is one of the bill's strong points, according to sources. Says one proponent: "The public should know when there are findings of sexual harassments, as long as due process rights are protected."

Source: www.philly.com, "Casey bill calls for agencies to report harassment settlements," Mark Fazlollah, 16 April 2011