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Thanks to this campaign’s work, activist pressure, and sympathetic politicians, P.E.I. was the first province to introduce legislation limiting the use of NDAs in settlement agreements. We are now starting to see the cultural impacts of taking a more critical approach to NDAs. The University of Prince Edward Island released two staff from NDAs that had muzzled them for 12 years.

only four Canadian post-secondary institutions (Acadia University, Atlantic School of Theology, Columbia College, and University of King’s College) have signed the pledge not to use NDAs to silence people who come forward to raise complaints of sexual harassment, discrimination, abuse or misconduct, or other forms of harassment and bullying.

One of the symptoms of this insidious culture is the people who leave institutions and academia because of it. From being told to finish their degree under the supervisor harassing them to suffering health issues to needing to prioritize their safety, many of our Open Secrets participants shared how their experiences of violence, poorly designed complaint processes, and lack of accountability ultimately led to their exiting the institution.

This represents a huge loss for our academic and campus communities, particularly given that members of marginalized groups are often overrepresented among survivors of sexual violence. It erodes any trust between the institution and community and allows repeat offenders to continue.