ALBANY, N.Y. (August 10, 2021) — In response to the announcement that Andrew Cuomo will resign as governor of New York, public education advocacy organization the Alliance for Quality Education released the following statement:
“Andrew Cuomo was unfit to lead New York. AQE was one of the first organizations to call for his resignation as his cover-up of nursing home COVID deaths came to light earlier this year. We hope that today, the women who survived his sexual harassment and all those affected by his bullying and corrupt legacy at last feel some sense of justice,” said Zakiyah Ansari, Advocacy Director, Alliance for Quality Education.
“Cuomo’s reputation for ‘leadership’ sprang from his entitlement to the power he held over others, not a commitment to public service. Over the past year in particular, the true cost of Cuomo’s neglect of the needs of New Yorkers reached a crisis point, as our communities faced challenges that few others have ever had to confront. Rather than picking up the heavy responsibility, Cuomo stuck to his standard playbook of lies, obfuscation, and political gamesmanship. He left Black, Brown, poor and immigrant communities to bear the cost of his mistakes.
“AQE’s two decades of work advocating for equity in public education, and the ways that it brought us into conflict with Andrew Cuomo as governor of New York, has never been about politics. The state of public education during Andrew Cuomo’s time as governor is just one example of how long and hard he has worked to silence all those who fight for greater equity. We do not speak for a special interest, but work to elevate the voices and stories in our communities of those most impacted by educational racism.
“In the struggle for justice, there are no neutral parties. Later this month, Kathy Hochul will step up to become the first woman to govern New York. We welcome new leadership, but we also demand Hochul turn a page on the corruption and negligence of the Cuomo administration, and govern for the people of New York. As lieutenant governor, we remember Hochul’s participation in pushing austerity policies and harmful rhetoric that defined Cuomo’s time in office. We will continue to call out all elected leaders who abuse their power and that do not prioritize serving the needs of New Yorkers and our communities.”