Photo by Scott Graham from Unsplash
SPJ and 23 organizations have condemned a proposed Trump administration rule that would allow federal agencies to require employees to sign a standardized nondisclosure agreement, the Society announced June 9. If adopted, the rule “would give the federal government a powerful weapon to silence public employees and trample on the free speech rights guaranteed to them by the United States Constitution,” SPJ said.
More from the SPJ statement:
—The rule, posted May 27 by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, would permit federal agencies to require all new and current employees to sign the proposed nondisclosure agreement. The proposed agreement bars employees from sharing non-public, confidential or proprietary information during their employment and indefinitely after leaving government service. In practice, imposing this requirement would effectively cut off the federal workforce from speaking to the press about their jobs.
–Employees who violate the agreement could face disciplinary action, such as termination and disqualification from future federal employment. The government could also pursue civil and criminal penalties against current and former employees accused of violating its terms. Accordingly, federal employees who speak about their work could find themselves unemployed, barred from future federal service, and opposing the government in court.
Read the entire statement and the letter from the coalition here.
SPJ: Phoenix, Arizona Chapter 
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