A comment made by Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently is drawing strong criticism from
sexual harassment victims and advocates.
Cuomo said, "If I just made you feel
uncomfortable that is not harassment, that is feeling uncomfortable."
That comment sparked controversy over the
governor suggesting that harassment is in the ear of the listener and not in
the intentions of the alleged harasser.
Cuomo defended himself saying, "I never said
anything I believed was inappropriate. I never meant to make you feel that way.
You may hear it that way, you may interpret it that way. And I respect that but
harassment is not making someone feeling uncomfortable. That is not
harassment."
The comments are in contrast to what Cuomo said in March, when he apologized
for making women feel uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry for any pain that I caused anyone,” Cuomo says. “I never intended
it.”
Victims and advocates say Cuomo's ignorance of
the state's anti-harassment law, a statute that he signed in 2019, is
concerning.
The law reads in part -- "Sexual harassment
also consists of any unwanted verbal or physical advances, sexually explicit
derogatory statements or sexually discriminatory remarks made by someone which
are offensive or objectionable to the recipient, which cause the recipient
discomfort or humiliation, or which interfere with the recipient's job
performance."
Charlotte Bennett, one of
Cuomo’s accusers, responded on Twitter, saying “the issue is about his actions,
it is not about my feelings.”
Keith Scott, of the Safe Center, says, "In nowhere
does the sexual harassment law say the behavior has to be targeted to make
someone purposely feel uncomfortable. it's an unwanted, unwelcomed
behavior."
North Merrick resident D.J. Rosenbaum says that the comment is “victim-blaming.”
At least eight women have come forward alleging
Cuomo touched them or made comments that made them uncomfortable. The
allegations are under investigation by the state Attorney General's Office.
The governor says he looks forward to telling his side of the story once the
probe is completed.