Legal/business question?

The issues you are discussing are regulated by state law. I'd suggest that you contact 9 to 5, a national organization for working women. The organization operates a job survival helpline. The information below is from their website and tells how to contact the helpline. They can give you state-specific information.

9to5 has a Job Survival Helpline that you can call or email to find out more on your job rights. The Helpline links trained staff with women who need them the most. Helpline staff talk to 15,000 women annually from across the country. The issues most often raised by Hotline callers include sexual harassment, family leave, and pregnancy discrimination.

The Helpline is staffed between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm Eastern standard time on Monday and between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm Eastern standard time on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Call the Helpline: 1-800-522-0925

Email the Helpline: helpline@9to5.org

Were you given any kind of employee agreement at the time of your hiring? If so, there should be something in there explaining the compnay's rights in the event of a lawsuit.

You need to find that (if it exists) and show it to an attorney. It sounds like they plan to collect from you, at least part, any civil judgment against the company.

This could affect your legal rights and ability to be employed later on. You need to consult an attorney to determine your rights and how to protect yourself from this.

Good luck.

A contract isn't normally binding if one party signed under duress - sounds as if that is the case here. See a lawyer.

since you signed- you no longer have any rights. this is highly suspect- and probably illegal.