Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey held a ceremonial signing of Trey’s Law (SB-30) March 30. The law prohibits nondisclosure agreements in civil cases involving sexual abuse, sexual assault and trafficking in the interest of public safety.
Effective Oct. 1, Trey’s Law deems these NDAs void and unenforceable in Alabama, ensuring survivors can share their stories without fear of legal repercussion — even if they choose to enter settlement agreements regarding their experiences.
Sen. Matt Woods and Rep. David Faulker were the sponsors of Alabama’s version of Trey’s Law. Other versions of the bill have been introduced on both state and national levels and passed unanimously in both Texas and Missouri.
Trey’s Law has gained bipartisan support in every jurisdiction where it has been filed.
In an unprecedented alliance of political parties, Trey’s Law has gained bipartisan support in every jurisdiction where it has been filed.
The bill is named in honor of Trey Carlock, a victim of child sexual abuse at Kamp Kanakuk, a summer camp based in Missouri with broad reach in Alabama. Notably, Trey’s abuser, Pete Newman, was hired as a Kanakuk counselor while a student at Auburn University.
Newman was sentenced to three life terms in 2010, and Trey later pursued justice to hold others involved accountable through civil litigation. That retraumatizing process ended with a settlement agreement that included a restrictive NDA, barring Trey from ever speaking about his abuse and Kanakuk leadership’s role in it.
At the age of 28, Trey died by suicide after telling a therapist, “They will always control me, and I’ll never be free.”
Carlock’s older sister and the founder of No More Victims Alliance, Elizabeth Phillips, has championed the bill for multiple legislative sessions. Phillips attended Monday’s ceremonial bill signing.
“Today, Gov. Ivey made a statement that a survivor’s voice is no longer for sale in the state of Alabama,” she said. “By removing this barrier to truth and transparency, we are ensuring a sexual abuse victim’s healing, freedom of speech and general public safety are a priority over protecting predators and the institutions that harbor them. I am deeply grateful to our legislative champions and everyone who supported this for their action to ensure that no more victims are muzzled by the very system meant to hold bad actors accountable.”
Trey’s Law continues to gain national momentum with a federal version led by Sens. Ted Cruz and Kirsten Gillibrand filed earlier this month.
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