Cuomo investigation sheds light on workplace harassment

The independent investigation that found the New York government. Andrew CuomoAndrew Cuomo Bill Maher Says Cuomo Can’t Stay After Scandal He’s Not “Donald Trump” Cuomo Could Face Misdemeanor Charges In Groping Case, Sheriff Says Majority of New Yorkers Think Cuomo should resign, face MORE charges (DN.Y.) harassed nearly ten women brought to light the issue of sexual harassment at work.

The report, which details the actions that have apparently taken place over the years and spans the gamut from inappropriate comments to unwanted touching, is perhaps the sharpest look yet at how the issue is playing out in the world. a government office. But experts say that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Twenty-one percent of Americans report experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace, according to a 2018 report from Edison Research. On top of that, experts say most cases of sexual harassment go unreported.

“Gov. Cuomo’s conduct was collectively permitted by many other bad actors, ”said Noreen Farrell, executive director of women’s rights group Equal Rights Advocates.

“They were working within a system that was really designed to deter survivors from seeking and getting justice,” she said.

Equal Rights Advocates joined a number of other gender justice and survivor organizations in calling on the New York state legislature to remove Cuomo from office.

The independent investigation launched by New York Attorney General Letitia James found that Cuomo and his aides also retaliated against women who made allegations against him.

Lindsey Boylan, the governor’s first accuser, is considering suing Cuomo for alleged retaliation, according to her attorney Jill Bassinger.

“There was a whole plot to diminish her and damage her credibility, and we find that to be the most offensive part of it all,” Bassinger said.

Boylan and several other women accused Cuomo of sexual misconduct, including fumbling, unwanted kissing, and inappropriate remarks in a work environment.

James and lawyer Anne Clark spoke to 179 people during the investigation as well as 11 complainants, current and former members of the executive chamber and more. Prosecutors also found that the governor harassed a state soldier assigned to protect him.

Despite receiving calls from the country’s main Democrats, including President BidenJoe BidenBill Maher Says Cuomo Can’t Stay After Scandal: He’s Not “Donald Trump” Senate Confirms Biden’s Choice For CNN Secretary Of The Navy Jim Acosta On Delta Variant: “Why Not The call the DeSantis variant? ” FOLLOWING and speaker Nancy PelosiNancy Pelosi Bill Maher Says Cuomo Can’t Stay After Scandal: He’s Not ‘Donald Trump’ Moderate Democrats Push For Stand-Alone Infrastructure Vote Republicans renew party battle for trillion-dollar spending PLUS dollars (D-Calif.), Cuomo has yet to resign and denies the allegations.

“The fact that Cuomo refuses to resign and could be fired from a democratically-run and controlled legislature speaks volumes,” said Caroline Heldman, chair of the political department at Occidental College.

“The way he sinks into his heels is indicative of men in positions of power who use their power and think they’re going to get away with it,” she added.

Cuomo joins a growing list of powerful men who have been removed from office over allegations of sexual misconduct against them. In 2017, the “Me Too” movement led to men in various industries, including former film producer Harvey Weinstein and former TV presenters. Matt LauerMatthew (Matt) Todd LauerPress: Cuomo Belongs To The Wrong Joe Biden To Top Google People Searches In 2020 Comcast Shareholders Reject Proposals For External Inquiry Into Sexual Harassment At NBC PLUS and Charlie roseCharles Peete RoseCBS ousts two senior executives amid racism, abuse allegations, being ousted from their jobs.

Although observers note that there is still a lot of work to be done in the public and private sectors to tackle sexual harassment, the Me Too movement has spurred a number of legislative reforms on the issue. Several states, including California, have introduced laws to end nondisclosure agreements that could silence victims, drop future plans of work to resolve a harassment complaint, and force victims to resolve complaints in a private setting.

“[The Me Too movement] helped drive the conversation beyond the individual perpetrators to the system that allows harassment to exist, ”said Farrell. “I think the movement has exposed the complicity of other people at the highest level in the workplace who protect abusers at the cost of profit or power.”

“I think the case of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo presents textbook examples of all of these devastating factors at play,” she added.

Experts point out that sexual harassment in the workplace knows no boundaries when it comes to pay level or industries. Indeed, experts stress that it is often the most vulnerable employees who are most at risk.

“The real root of the problem is this extremely large power gap between the people who are most often harmed in the workplace, who often do not work in professional jobs, who are the people who earn the minimum wage at the lowest. echelons of the economy and all those with the power above them, ”said Sheerine Alemzadeh, co-founder and co-director of Healing to Action, a non-profit group dedicated to fighting gender-based violence.

In the cases of Cuomo’s accusers and many others, there is often no established protocol for reporting malpractice in the workplace, making the process even more difficult.

“You have to think about whether the governor or a member of the governor’s office is the wrong actor, how is that handled? Said Edgar Ndjatou, executive director of the non-profit group Workplace Fairness.

And with the economic turmoil from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, experts say employees have become more financially vulnerable, exposing them to the threat of workplace harassment.

Additionally, the pandemic’s shift to virtual workplaces does not appear to have deterred cases of sexual harassment. More than a quarter of workers said they had experienced virtual harassment, according to a survey released last month by TalentLMS and the Purple Campaign.

“People are really afraid of their economic well-being,” Alemzadeh said. “People at the lowest levels of the economy already cannot pay their rent. So think about how you are going to be able to survive if you take the risk of trying to hold someone who has more power to account.

And studies show that holding someone accountable for sexual harassment in the workplace has consequences. In 2017, 72 percent of cases filed with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission resulted in some form of retaliation.

“The structure is not really conducive for people to come forward and do anything about it, which creates this culture of impunity where people continue to take advantage of it,” Alemzadeh said.

But the resumption of public conversation surrounding the allegations against Cuomo could lead to further action by public and private sector workplaces to address harassment.

“What happens to Governor Cuomo will test the progress of the Me Too movement,” Farrell said.

She specifically highlighted the scope and depth of the Cuomo investigation, as well as the conduct under investigation.

“The report considers a series of behaviors that were previously ignored before ‘Me too’,” she said, referring to inappropriate comments and unwanted hugs.

Farrell also pointed to widespread bipartisan calls for Cuomo’s resignation, including those from his most staunch political allies.

“It’s really powerful,” she said.