Between the nine women who have described uncomfortable situations with Cuomo, and the 20 plus employees detailing a toxic office culture, it’s probably safe to say Gov. Andrew Cuomo has fostered an unprofessional work environment.
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, no politician, especially not one in a solidly Democratic state, can stay silent after a slew of accusations like these. Cuomo’s response to these allegations was to be expected; deny any actual wrongdoing and apologize for the way his actions might have made some employees feel.
He claimed any inappropriate touching did not happen and said his comments were simple teasing and jokes that anyone would make to a friendly coworker. But herein lies the issue— Cuomo is not a run-of-the-mill coworker. Cuomo is a man in the highest position of power in New York state and a member of a NY political dynasty: The Cuomo family.
One former administration employee, Lindsey Boylan, said Cuomo kissed her on the lips. Boylan shared a story on her experience working with Cuomo in late February.
“His inappropriate gestures became more frequent. He gave roses to female staffers on Valentine’s Day and arranged to have one delivered to me, the only one on my floor. A signed photograph of the Governor appeared in my closed-door office while I was out,” said Boylan. “These were not-so-subtle reminders of the Governor exploiting the power dynamic with the women around him.“
You see, Cuomo’s apology misses an integral part of the inappropriateness of the situation. As a man in such a high-paying position of power, his subordinates are going to want to be exactly that: subordinate. Cuomo’s apology ignored the crucial power imbalance at play, or the way power affects a relationship in two or more people. Cuomo’s words ignore a workplace hierarchy in which he — the governor of the state— is at the top.
Cuomo’s power inside of his office has the ability to fire a dedicated employee if desired. Outside the office, Cuomo still has his friends in every aspect of NY political life- there is literally nowhere in the state a disgruntled employee can go if Cuomo decides to torch their reputation and work ethic. When Cuomo asks a young intern intimate questions about her love life, it can become difficult to redirect the conversation without fear of resentment or retaliation.
The second staffer who accused the Governor of sexual harassment implied exactly this to The New York Times:
“I understand that the governor wanted to sleep with me and felt horribly uncomfortable and scared,” Charlotte Bennet said. “And was wondering how to get out of it and assumed it was the end of my job.”
Unfortunately, this article is something of a misnomer— Cuomo isn’t the first, nor will he be the last powerful man to wield his position of power inappropriately. And his non-apology that really just served to blame his victims and shirk accountability is typically the standard for most politicians’ apologies. It’s clear the ranking democratic leadership in New York has no intentions of impeaching Cuomo, which leads the rest of us to an ever-present impasse. When will our institutions actually deliver justice to credible victims of sexual harassment?