Anti-harassment laws sparked by Cuomo probe passed by state
New York expanded workplace harassment protection for all public employees and banned the release of anyone's employment records in retaliation for speaking up about alleged abuse, part of a package of new laws signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday.
State law had previously excluded personal staff of elected officials and judges from anti-discrimination protection under New York's Human Rights Law. Another bill launches a statewide, confidential hotline to report sexual harassment in both the pubic and private sector.
Democratic lawmakers proposed the laws after an investigation into former Gov. 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 law. The report said Cuomo's aides leaked internal memorandums 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 up,” said bill sponsor Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, a Queens Democrat, who called the release of Boylan's employment records “a tool of retaliation.”
Employees can now file complaints of retaliation with the attorney general, who could launch a proceeding in state court against employers who violate the law.
Independent investigators also found Cuomo's office failed to investigate sexual harassment complaints.
Hochul, who's gearing for a June Democratic primary, said Wednesday her administration has overhauled how it handles harassment complaints to ensure they're taken seriously.
“We created a human resources department, a real one, so actual real complaints can be heard by real people, who will take action,” Hochul said.