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Cuomo poll: NY passes anti-harassment law

ALBANY, NY – New York has extended workplace harassment protections to all employees and banned the release of anyone’s employment records in retaliation for speaking out about allegations of abuse, a part of a package of new legislation signed by Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday.

State law previously excluded individual employees of elected officials and judges from anti-discrimination protections under the New York Human Rights Act. Another bill provides for a confidential statewide hotline to report sexual harassment in both the public and private sectors.

Democratic lawmakers proposed the legislation following an investigation into former Governor Andrew Cuomo by the state attorney general’s office. It found Cuomo, a Democrat, sexually harassed at least 11 women in violation of state and federal civil rights laws. The report said Cuomo aides leaked internal memos to undermine the first person to publicly accuse him of sexual harassment, former senior aide Lindsey Boylan.

“We saw what happened to Lindsey Boylan when she spoke out,” said bill sponsor Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, a Queens Democrat who called the release of Boylan’s employment records a “an instrument of retaliation.”

Employees can now file a retaliation complaint with the attorney general, who can sue in state court against employers who broke the law.

Independent investigators also found Cuomo’s office failed to investigate sexual harassment complaints.

Hochul, who is gearing up for the Democratic primaries in June, said on Wednesday her administration has overhauled the way it handles harassment complaints to ensure they’re reviewed appropriately. seriously.

“We created a human resources department, a real department, so real complaints can really be heard by real people and people who will take action,” Hochul said. “We actually have an outside law firm for people to complain to, so it doesn’t mean anyone in my administration can cover or sweep something under the rug.”

Cuomo said the civil sexual harassment investigation was part of a political witch hunt and said investigators had not brought up every piece of evidence that put him in a positive light.

Cuomo resigned in August to avoid a potential impeachment trial by Democrats, which could prevent him from running for re-election. But he sparked speculation about his political ambitions after railing against “cultural cancellation” at a Brooklyn church earlier this month. He also plans to speak at a Bronx church on Thursday.

Hochul spoke Wednesday at New York City’s Javits Center with members of the Sexual Harassment Working Group, the group whose leaders have long pushed for anti-harassment reform and talked about personal experience dealing with harassment as a legislator.

“To the supporters who made this happen and their supporters in the legislature: I am proud to sign bills that will tackle sexual harassment in the workplace and say once and for all. forever, my government cleaned the house,” Hochul said. “It’s a new day in New York.”

Last summer, investigators questioned whether Cuomo and his inside team were trying to silence Boylan by questioning her personal and political motives shortly after she took to Twitter. in December 2020 to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment.

State law and the policy of the governor’s office prohibit retaliation against current and former employees who make complaints of harassment. Examples of retaliation may include the release of “unwarranted negative references”.

Cuomo said he helped draft a letter attacking Boylan’s credibility, which his circle distributed among supporters, though never made public. His administration – with the help of former Cuomo aides – also released internal memos showing Boylan had been the subject of complaints about toxic workplace behavior.

“You can be the perpetrator of sexual harassment and the victim of sexual harassment,” Cuomo admitted in part of his sentencing.

But Cuomo and aides like Melissa DeRosa argue that the administration acted within its power to defend the governor against Boylan.

Cuomo has denied that he ever inappropriately touched anyone or intended to offend any of the 11 women in the harassment investigation.

Several New York prosecutors said they found the women trustworthy but lacked enough evidence to charge Cuomo with rape.

A female state trooper on Cuomo’s security details has filed a lawsuit against the former governor seeking civil damages for sexual harassment.

Cuomo attributes his fondness to hugs and kisses to an older Italian-American, and said some of his past remarks have been “misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation.”

The New York definition of sexual harassment includes unwelcome touching, unwanted flirting, or sexual pranks.

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