In the wake of the sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein and James Toback, and the harrowing tales of mistreatment in fashion highlighted on Cameron Russell’s Instagram account, New York State assemblywoman Nily Rozic is introducing legislation that would help protect models from harassment. Rozic’s bill will add to the state’s standing antidiscrimination and harassment laws, and was created with insight from Sara Ziff and the Model Alliance.
“If there is anything we are learning from over the past few weeks is that we have reached a turning point whether to accept sexual harassment as a norm, or end the cycle by enacting protections and providing a path of recourse,” said Rozic in a statement. “No one should ever experience sexual harassment in or outside of the workplace.”
For years, models have existed in a gray area, where they are not seen as employees of the companies they model for nor of the agencies that represent them. Instead, they are typically classified as independent contractors, meaning they are exempt from state sexual harassment laws that protect employees. As Rozic’s brief says, “The inconsistencies in classification in addition to the way modeling agencies have been able to skirt around state law and regulations have cultivated a workplace environment that lacks accountability.”
The assemblywoman’s bill seeks to place liability for harassment that may occur on the clients who have contracted the model for the shoot. Depending on the booking, the client in question would be the photographer, brand, designer, or publication that has secured the model for the job. Not only would the bill give models a clear legal route for reporting harassment if signed into law, but it would also be a big step in reversing the culture of silence that has permeated fashion for decades.
As casting director James Scully, who has been an advocate for models’ rights and is an advisory board member of the Model Alliance, wrote in a statement about the bill, “How can a model stand against an abusive photographer, stylist, or casting director when people in the industry have built a wall of protection around predators and are willing to look the other way to protect their own interests, regardless of the well-being of the model or the industry as a whole?”
Ziff, Model Alliance’s founder, echoed that sentiment in her statement, writing, “For years, other models and I have spoken out about systemic sexual harassment and abuse on the job—and yet, powerful individuals have tried to silence us and tacitly given approval that this behavior is okay. Sexual harassment is not okay and should not be tolerated by models, nor should it be tolerated by our industry.”