Purple Campaign Statement on the Resignation of Governor Andrew Cuomo
AUGUST 10, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC — In a statement released today, the Purple Campaign President and Co-Founder, Ally Coll, thanked the survivors in Albany for coming forward and called for more to be done to ensure all employees are safe and protected from harassment in the workplace.
I’m grateful to the brave women who came forward to share their stories and to demand better from our leaders, allies, and institutions. They weren’t served well by them this time, but thanks to their courage New York is about to have its first female Governor and the culture in Albany will be different for the next generation of public servants.
When sexual harassment allegations first surfaced about Governor Cuomo back in March, I said that I wanted Attorney General Letitia James to complete her investigation before making a determination about whether he should resign. I said this not because I didn’t believe the women who’d come forward to share their stories — but because I did. A thorough, impartial, and fair investigation is critical to ensuring fair process, and here it resulted in an extensive report that made unambiguously clear that Governor Cuomo created a hostile work environment, retaliated against employees who reported misconduct, sexually harassed subordinates, and broke the law in doing so.
His resignation today is a necessary but insufficient step toward recognizing these harms and taking accountability for his actions. There is so much work left to be done to create safe, empowering, and equal workplaces in Albany and beyond — and the Purple Campaign will continue to work with our diverse coalition of stakeholders to ensure employees everywhere can work in an environment that is free from harassment.
– Ally Coll, President and Co-Founder, The Purple Campaign
A Letter to New York State Senate and Assembly Leadership
Prior to Governor Cuomo’s resignation, The Purple Campaign joined National Women’s Law Center and others in writing a letter to New York State Senate and Assembly leadership calling for the resignation, or removal, of the governor.