Gov. Cuomo’s Resignation Speech Short on Compassion and Responsibility

Elizabeth L. Jeglic, Ph.D., psychology professor at John Jay College, City University of New York

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo felt he had little choice in the face of his sexual harassment scandal but to resign his responsibilities, authority, power and position. He wasn’t happy about it or how it came to pass. He also had the unenviable task of having to communicate and explain his departure. That wasn’t easy for him, as his speech painfully showed.

It was puzzling commentary, at least in spots, with predictable errors, low social-awareness and insensitivities along the way. The speech was a strange mix of bravado, self congratulations, possible false praise for the women who came forward, defensiveness, blame and denial.

"It’s not easy to step forward, but you did an important service, and you taught me and you taught others an important lesson: personal boundaries must be expanded and must be protected,” Cuomo said. He similarly commented, “In my mind I’ve never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn." 

His phrasing very likely didn’t land home in a positive way with the women who came forward to detail their experiences. This communication also appears to be ploy, possibly subconscious — or intended, and strategic to create distance between Cuomo’s behavior and what he wants himself to believe and wants the public to believe.

“In his statement he seems to indicate that societal norms have changed and he was adhering to more traditional societal norms,” says Elizabeth L. Jeglic, Ph.D., a psychology professor and noted expert in Sexual Violence Prevention and Sex Offender Public Policy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at City University of New York.

“(Cuomo) references giving people hugs and calling women ‘honey, sweetheart and darling.’ While I agree with his assessment that this is dated and offensive to women he works with in a professional capacity, that is not what is being alleged by the women who came forward,” she says. “There were substantiated allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault, which fall far from simply calling a professional women a dated term of endearment.”

Cuomo’s soft-selling of his actions were possibly to protect himself legally and mitigate how people view and judge him. In other words, legal risk management and impression management. Yet that decision to communicate as he did invites additional resentment and criticism. He presented his case as if he were not informed about what the new rules of male-female interaction were, especially within a professional environment.

“These boundaries are not new and have been around for decades, and most clearly since the #meToo movement,” Jeglic says. “All state employees of New York must take sexual harassment training where these issues are clearly discussed and spelled out and as the leader of the State and the person who signs these protections into law, ignorance is not an excuse.”

She noticed that Cuomo tried to communicate that he isn’t alone in learning what he believes is a new, sobering reality in the workplace.

“He also diffuses his responsibility by indicating that he ‘and others’ have been taught an important lesson,” Jeglic says. “ ‘Others’ did not engage in sexual harassment and sexual assault – he did.”

The pleading of ignorance and surprise, downplaying the behavior, was a lost opportunity to show courage in the moment and speak with, sincerity, remorse and compassion. Cuomo alternated between defensiveness and apology — “I take full responsibility” — which could not ring true for many listening with a critical ear.

“He did not accept full responsibility,” Jeglic argues, “as he denied the allegations that were made and substantiated against him. That is not taking responsibility.”

What would have been better, she says, was the governor making an earlier start on communicating wisely, with higher-level character.

“He should have taken responsibility when the allegations were made or if not then, at least when his own attorney general presented a report documenting the sexual harassment and abuse he perpetrated against these women,” Jeglic says. “In doing so, he delegitimized the process and made it less likely that other women may come forth in the future.”

Cuomo likes to think of — and call himself a fighter, relishing that persona. He projects it as his image, knowing it plays well with a large part of his devoted followers. Yet that easily can be interpreted as out-of-touch arrogance and in Cuomo’s resignation speech, transparent denial. In scandal and crisis, such a mindset and communication does not help one navigate challenges and stress effectively. Nonetheless, Cuomo reverts to that default state of mind and communication.

"Part of being New York tough is being New York smart,” Cuomo said. “New York smart tells us that this situation and moment are not about the facts. It’s not about the truth. It’s not about thoughtful analysis. It’s not about 'how do we make the system better?' This is about politics, and our political system today is too often driven by the extremes."

As to what the governor thought he could accomplish with such rhetoric, in the media, with the women who filed complaints, with people in the court of public opinion, and with voters is a mystery.

“There were clear facts and evidence supporting those facts in the AG’s report,” Jeglic says. “Those women all came forward and their stories were investigated. By denying the accuracy of their claims and indicating this was a political process, once again takes away the power from the accusers, further compounding the harm he has done to them.”

“He was attempting to divert attention away from his behavior and place the blame elsewhere,” she says.

Cuomo, in his speech, went to great lengths to remind voters, the public in general and media — and maybe himself — of the political and social accomplishments he led. It was an apparent attempt to prove he is a ‘good person,’ and balance the scales of criticism against him.

“He received a lot of hero worship over the past couple of years with his response to COVID, “ Jeglic says. “While the achievements of his administration still exist, they were not relevant to the findings that he perpetrated sexual harassment and assault. By praising himself he is once again minimizing his role and attempting to take on the role of someone who has been wronged.”

Cuomo also errs in not recognizing where the attention, empathy and compassion are expected to be and should be directed.

“In his response to the AG’s report,” Jeglic says, “he indicated that this has been a very hard time for him and his family. While this was likely the case, portraying himself as the victim takes away the power from those he victimized.”

The speech was likely disheartening, maybe infuriating and salt in the wound to many who listened to, or read it.

“I believe that Cuomo’s comments were emblematic of the issues of power and control that are at the heart of sexual harassment and sexual violence,” Jeglic says. “He used his position of power to abuse these women, and then he continued to do so in his responses to the report and in his resignation statement. In his failure to be accountable for his actions, despite evidence to the contrary, he revictimized those that came forward and undermined the process for those who may experience sexual harassment and abuse in the future.”

As with many speaking publicly about their mistakes or in this case, egregious errors, they don’t realize in their stress, the opportunity available; the opportunity to start the healing process for others while also showing that some level of humanity, admirable character and hope exists in them to own responsibility, humbly accept consequences and commit to the pursuit of improving.