A City Council bill aims to make a night out safer for club-goers and bar hoppers.
City Councilman Rafael Espinal Jr. said he plans to introduce three bills Wednesday that would require club and bar owners to take steps to prevent sexual harassment and assault in their establishments. One measure would mandate that staff are trained on how to identify harassment and intervene, and another would have the city’s relatively new Office of Nightlife assist with the training campaign. A third bill would compel establishments to post rules stating the venues will not tolerate harassment or unwelcome interactions.
Espinal said he hopes to reach a consensus on precisely what is forbidden under this zero tolerance policy as the bill comes before the Committee on Consumer Affairs, which he chairs.
"The importance of these bills is to: one, raise awareness that harassment will not be tolerated no matter what the setting, and two, provide information on what to do if they are harassed," Espinal said.
