There are many reasons that large corporations or defendants such as The Washington Post/Kaplan, Inc. wish to settle cases with strong "confidentiality agreements" folded into "nondisclosure agreements" equipped with "non-disparagement agreements" that serve to muzzle and silence plaintiffs. Acknowledging malfeasance is one; it's simply bad for business and the company's reputation to admit to criminal, negligent or tortuous behavior. Companies and powerful defendants also want to avoid lengthy public court hearings.

There is an additional reason that many corporations like The Washington Post favor nondisclosure agreements. The amount of money they settle for often serves as a barometer for the level of malfeasance in which they've engaged. The companies know this and they want to ensure that these cases do not inspire other would-be plaintiffs to file similar lawsuits.

IT APPEARS THAT CRIME PAYS, AND THEY WANT TO KEEP THE CRIME A SECRET....