Employment in the New York State Legislature    Formation    Advocacy    New York State Joint Legislative Hearing on Sexual Harassment    Publications    Recognition and Awards  
1. References

2. External links

The SHWG advocates for improved worker protections relating to sexual harassment and gender discrimination. The group is non-partisan, does not endorse nor support any elected officials or candidates for public office, and does not receive any lobbying funds.^[2]

Employment in the New York State Legislature

The seven co-founding members of the SHWG are Elizabeth Crothers, Eliyanna Kaiser, Danielle Bennett, Leah Hebert, Rita Pasarell, Tori Burhans, Chloe Rivera, and Erica Vladimer. Elias Farah joined the SHWG in 2019. All SHWG members worked in the New York State legislature during dates ranging from 2000-2012, and alleged various forms of sexual harassment by supervisors or coworkers, including former Counsel to Speaker Sheldon Silver Michael Boxley, former Assemblymembers Vito Lopez, Micah Kellner, and Angela Wozniak, and Senator Jeff Klein.

In 2001, Elizabeth Crothers reported to former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver that Silver's counsel, Micheal Boxley, had raped Ms. Crothers.^[3] At the time, "after listening to the accusation against [Boxley], [Silver] issued a statement saying [Boxley] was innocent." ^[4] Silver then oversaw the investigation into Boxley's conduct, and the internal Assembly investigation was terminated without any finding of guilt or innocence.^[3] Two years later, Boxley was charged with raping another Assembly staff member, and Boxley plead guilty to sexual misconduct.^[3] In 2011, the firm Brown & Weinraub hired Boxley as a lobbyist.^[5] Of the hire, New York State Senator Liz Krueger had stated “I was appalled at the time that Boxley was allowed to stay in the Assembly after the first reported incident ...The fact that he can return as a lobbyist reflects the incestuous relationship in Albany between the Legislature and the lobbying firms.”^[5]

In 2018, in the midst of national attention to the "#MeToo" movement, Boxley left the firm, although the firm spokesperson "insisted Boxley's departure had nothing to do with recent media coverage of the lobbyist's past that has appeared in the months since the fall of studio mogul Harvey Weinstein precipitated the #MeToo movement calling out sexual abuse and harassment by powerful men."^[6]

In 2009, Danielle Bennett reported to her supervisor Eliyanna Kaiser that Assemblymember Micah Kellner had been sexually harassing her and sending her sexual messages.^[7]

In December 2011,

In January 2018,

Formation

On March 22, 2018 the Sexual Harassment Working Group released a statement which noted “We have come together for the first time to raise our collective voice as people who have experienced and/or reported sexual harassment in the New York State Legislature.”^[8]

At the time, the group publicly urged the New York State Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo to "postpone addressing workplace harassment until after the budget negotiation is completed"^[9] explaining that "Some of the bills currently under consideration by the Legislature cut back on the rights of workers, instead of increasing protections ... Lawmakers should not rush through bills as part of the budget supposedly in the name of standing up for survivors — that’s not progress, it’s a pat on the back."^[10]

In April 2018, New York State passed laws related to sexual harassment, and SHWG "criticized the Democratic governor and bi-partisan Legislature for passing an inadequate package of anti-sexual harassment legislation"^[11] while noting "the legislation that was passed would not have changed anything that happened to any of us in the working group."^[12]

Advocacy

In June 2018, the SHWG released its first report^[13]: "Fixing Albany's #MeToo Problem: What's Next? Policy Recommendations to Protect Employees of Elected and Appointed Officials from Gender-Based Discrimination and Harassment."^[17] The report notes policy and legislative changes in three basic categories:

1. Strengthen Statewide Legal Definitions Related to Gender-Based Discrimination and Harassment
2. Reform and Appropriately Fund a Truly Independent New York State Division of Human Rights
3. Increase Protections for Victims Seeking Redress

After releasing its report, the SHWG campaigned to raise the profile of sexual harassment in several New York State races, and began to call for public hearings to help guide future legislation. In July 2018, Attorney General candidate Zephyr Teachout and Gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon were the first candidates to join the SHWG in its call for public hearings on sexual harassment.^[14][12][15]

New York State Joint Legislative Hearing on Sexual Harassment

On February 19, 2019, New York State held the first joint legislative public hearing on sexual harassment since 1992.^[16] Press credited the SHWG as having been a major factor in bringing about the hearing, stating that "Albany lawmakers held the first hearing on sexual harassment in 27 years because seven women would not go away."^[16]

The SWHG testified at the hearing, which lasted over 11 hours.^[17] The SHWG "is now urging the legislature to create a report assessing information gained through the hearing and testimonies, and to identify patterns and legislative solutions to improve worker protections. The SHWG is also urging additional hearings to gain additional information which will be useful in crafting legislation."^[2]

At the hearing, the group met Elias Farah, the former Director of Legislation for Assemblymember Angela Wozniak.^[18] While Farah joined the SHWG.

Publications

"Fixing Albany's #MeToo Problem: What's Next? Policy Recommendations to Protect Employees of Elected and Appointed Officials from Gender-Based Discrimination and Harassment."^[19]

Recognition and Awards

In 2018, City & State New York named Erica Vladimer in its "2018 Manhattan Watch List," noting "Vladimer has become much more than a publicly known victim. She has established herself as a leading voice in the #MeToo movement and helped establish the Sexual Harassment Working Group."^[20]

In February 2019, following the New York State Joint Legislative Hearing on Sexual Harassment, City & State New York named the SHWG as one of the "week's biggest winners." ^[21] In a reader-generated vote, SHWG was voted as the top winner: "the biggest winners were the members of the Sexual Harassment Working Group, which achieved a major goal when the state Legislature finally held its first sexual harassment hearing in over a quarter century.^[21]

References

External links

• {{Official website|https://www.harassmentfreealbany.com/ }}

• Braunschweig (district)
• Braunschweig, Eastern Cape
• Braunschweig (electoral district)
• Braunschweiger Monogrammist
• Braunschweiger Schloss
• Braunschweiger Schultheaterwoche
• Braunschweiger Verkehrs-AG
• Braunschweiger Zeitung
• Braunschweiggasse (Vienna U-Bahn)
• Braunschweig Hbf railway station
• Braunschweig Hbf station
• Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum
• Braunschweig Landtag elections in the Weimar Republic
• Braunschweig LF-1 Zaunkonig
• Braunschweig-Rüningen
• Braunschweig State Electoral Association
• Braunschweig-Stöckheim-Leiferde
• Braunschweig University of Art
• Braunschweig–Kreiensen railway
• Braunschweig–Kreiensen Railway
• Braunsdorf (Niederwiesa)
• Braunsel
• Braunshausen
• Braunshausen (Nonnweiler)
• Braun's hoursetail