Last week, Vera House and many other anti-violence organizations and leaders called for Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign in response to the attorney general's report that he sexually harassed multiple state employees. Although we are relieved that Governor Cuomo resigned today, this is not vindication. Until the last moment, his attorney was disparaging the attorney general's report and his accusers. He also continued to claim innocence, saying, "In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone. But I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn."
The line was not redrawn. It was always wrong to ask employees if they had sex with older men or for a supervisor to run their finger down an employee's spine without their consent. We are now just acknowledging lines that have always been there. The governor knew or should have known where the lines were. Some of the sexual harassment legislation he supported helped clarify them.
In our work, we often talk about intention versus impact. We teach that people need to be accountable for hurting others, even when it wasn't their goal. In the governor's case, it seems clear that his intention was, in fact, to flirt, exert power over employees and potentially have relationships with them.
But even if that weren't the case, his impact alone on victims has been deeply harmful—making them feel unsafe at work, chilling their ability to speak out and now subjecting them to public criticism. We're grateful that they still came forward and helped hold the governor accountable. May we grow toward becoming a culture that values the courage of victims and honors their truths.
