US Congress approves sexual harassment bill in #MeToo milestone

Legislation guarantees that people who experience sexual harassment at work can seek recourse in the courts

Congress on Thursday gave final approval to legislation guaranteeing that people who experience sexual harassment at work can seek recourse in the courts, a milestone for the #MeToo movement that prompted a national reckoning on the way sexual misconduct claims are handled.

The measure, which is expected to be signed by Joe Biden, bars employment contracts from forcing people to settle sexual assault or harassment cases through arbitration rather than in court, a process that often benefits employers and keeps misconduct allegations from becoming public.