A billboard called on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign, as he was stripped of his emergency COVID-19 rights while facing sexual harassment allegations.
A billboard calls Cuomo to 'Resign Now!'
The huge billboard, which was placed near Albany's state capital, showed Cuomo's face and the words "Resign Now!" in bright red letters. It was on show when state lawmakers signed an agreement two months before Cuomo's emergency powers for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic were due to expire.
Meanwhile, protesters assembled outside the governor's office in midtown Manhattan, shouting and carrying posters demanding that Cuomo resign. Cuomo is under growing pressure to leave after a third woman accused him of sexual harassment on Monday, The Sun reported.
Cuomo is now being prosecuted for allegedly hiding the number of COVID19 deaths in nursing homes, despite being highly praised for his leadership during the pandemic's early stages. On March 3, 2020, three days after the first confirmed virus case in New York, Cuomo was given COVID-19 emergency powers, which are in force until April 30, 2021.
"A year after the pandemic, even when New Yorkers receive the vaccine, the temporary emergency powers have served their purpose - it is time for them to be repealed," Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said in a statement. Last March, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Collins claimed that the need for a fast response was clear but that "the public needs checks and balances." Heastie and Stewart-Collins decided that existing directives must be left in effect so that the governor could adjust measures such as restaurant reopenings.
Read also: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Responds to Sexual Harassment Allegations, Offers Apology
National women's group calls on Gov. Cuomo to 'resign now'
According to Newsweek, three women have accused New York Democrat Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment. The allegations prompted a national women's rights organization to recommend that he resign immediately. Shaunna Thomas, the executive director for UltraViolet, said in a statement on Tuesday that Gov.Cuomo should resign 'today' and that sexual harassment should not be tolerated in any workplace.
Thomas continued, "When women like Lindsey Boylan, Charlotte Bennett, and Anna Ruch come out with their tales, they put themselves on the line in the expectation that the abuser will be kept responsible. We believe them. We salute Lindsey, Charlotte, and Anna on their courage in telling their experiences, and we stand by them."
Boylan, a former governor's aide, was the first to denounce Cuomo of sexual harassment. She described a "pervasive" atmosphere of misconduct within his administration in a Medium blog post published last Wednesday and recalled an incident in which Cuomo reportedly kissed her as she tried to exit his office during a meeting.
Bennett and Ruch also told the New York Times of their experiences. Bennett, a former aide, said the governor made her feel awkward by talking about her sex life and whether she would consider dating an older man. According to Ruch, Cuomo placed his palm on Ruch's bare lower back and then on her cheeks at a wedding in September 2019. The newspaper's report contained a graphic of the alleged incident.
Read also: New York Gov. Cuomo Receives Third Allegation of Sexual Advances
Allegations against Cuomo spark larger talks about sexual harassment
In recent years, several women have come forward to share their stories about workplace sexual abuse, as per WGRZ. "A huge piece of this that's been popping up in the press more and more as we read more and more of these stories is just the collaboration of people coming together and sharing their stories can be super validating," Lindsey Rickard, vice president of training and innovation at BestSelf Behavioral Health, said.
On the other hand, people who have been victims of workplace sexual harassment may be triggered by new allegations. Rickard clarified, "We just need to be mindful that everyone's perspective is special. It's nice just to be conscious if we're having these talks or if we want to share our own insights. We never want to make someone else feel obligated to speak about their experience if they aren't ready. That might end up causing more harm to the other person."
Since not every case of workplace sexual harassment is documented, it's impossible to say how widespread it is. However, we can still get a decent sense of the effects. R. Scott Deluca, an attorney, can also speak about the frequency from a legal standpoint. As more incidents arise, Rickard highlighted the importance of recognizing that everyone's experience and approach vary.
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