Time’s Up chairwoman Roberta Kaplan resigned Monday after a report from the New York attorney general alleged she had counseled Gov. Andrew Cuomo when a former adviser accused him of sexual harassment last year.
The organization, which fights for gender equality and advocates on behalf of sexual abuse survivors, announced her resignation in a statement obtained by NBC News on Monday.
“We’ve worked to hold power accountable in board rooms, in the halls of government, and in organizations big and small, and we have felt uniquely capable of doing so because many of us have worked in those very institutions,” the organization said in a statement. “Yet, we recognize that this work has sometimes resulted in a lack of trust from the broader survivor community we serve and to which we also belong. We are looking within.”
The group added: “Robbie Kaplan, board co-chair, has stepped down from the board. We and she agree that is the right and appropriate thing to do.”
In her resignation letter first reported by The New York Times, Kaplan said she could not openly discuss details about her involvement with Cuomo as a practicing lawyer.
“I therefore have reluctantly come to the conclusion that an active litigation practice is no longer compatible with serving on the Board at Times Up at this time and I hereby resign,” she wrote.
Kaplan did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
The announcement came shortly after a group of 40 survivors of sexual harassment and assault published an open letter on Medium to the board of Time’s Up, criticizing the organization for betraying “the very people it was supposed to champion.”
“The board continues to fail to heed the outcry from survivors,” the letter said. “Time’s Up is failing all survivors.”
Investigators said Kaplan reviewed an unpublished op-ed letter that undermined Lindsey Boylan, who was the first woman to publicly accuse the governor of sexual harassment, according to a report issued by the New York attorney general’s office last Tuesday.
The report also alleged that Cuomo sexually harassed almost a dozen women, including employees in his office, and violated state and federal laws. The governor has disputed the allegations in the report, forcefully denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime. He has also ignored renewed calls for his resignation after the report was released.
Kaplan’s resignation also came a day after Melissa DeRosa, a top aide to Cuomo, resigned after the report’s release last week, saying in a statement that the last two years have been “emotionally and mentally trying.” DeRosa was represented by Kaplan in the attorney general investigation.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
