Yesterday, Cuomo gave a stern lengthy video statement that concluded with his resignation.

Once again his apologies were flawed (trying to explain away his behavior as typical for him and innocent, instead of accepting the impact on his accusers), and there was no accountability for his actions.

Striking was what he said previously. In his statement, he says: "I have done it all my life. It's who I have been since I can remember. In my mind, I have never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn't realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn…There are generational and cultural shifts that I just didn't fully appreciate – and I should have. No excuses." His attorney, Rita Glavin, preceded Cuomo's address with her own statement, challenging the lack of corroborating evidence in the AG's report, making a similar comment:  "Cuomo has had to change with the times."

Glavin and Cuomo both imply that Cuomo's behavior used to be acceptable, and today things have changed, boundaries have changed, and Cuomo's behavior is "outdated." 

Cuomo and Glavin, the line has NEVER been "redrawn." There have been no generational or cultural shifts. Cuomo's behavior is not "outdated." Sexual harassment has always been wrong. Always. It is only in recent times that women have felt more comfortable reporting inappropriate behavior and laws have evolved to hold violators accountable. Much more must be done. 

It is not ok to hug, touch, or kiss a person inappropriately or make comments or jokes that might be offensive to the opposite sex. Not even if you are the governor of the State of New York. Power and stature do not give you the right, nor does it make your actions "harmless," or command that you be perceived by women as innocent or non-intentional or merely bantering or joking. It is not about you. You are not the victim. It is about how your actions violated your accusers.

Addressing his three daughters, Cuomo says: "I want them to know from the bottom of my heart that I never did and I never would intentionally disrespect a woman or treat any woman differently than I would want them treated." Cuomo is saying his behavior was appropriate and it would be ok to do the same to his daughters. He continues, "I made mistakes…and I learned from it." Did he learn from his mistakes? He does not believe he made any until he addresses the allegation from the state trooper. He does not remember the incidents but apologizes to her for being disrespectful and insensitive. A mistake, he says. Again, he blames her for misunderstanding his actions  and intentions.

In summary, Cuomo believes politics are at play. Rashness and loudness have overtaken reasonableness and soundness. Facts, fairness, and the truth are no longer critical, he says. Cuomo concludes: "I love NY. I love you…I would never want to be unhelpful in any way… Given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let the government get back to governing….doing the right thing is doing the right thing for you…"

Doing the right thing from the beginning would have been to hold himself accountable and taken seriously the sexual harassment policies he himself supported and caused to be implemented in NY City. After all, by implementing them, he should have understood the lines that were drawn.

New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will replace Cuomo and become NY's first female governor. 👏👏👏

We should reward #beupstanding and encourage companies to support #metoo and to handle sexual harassment violations with transparency, respect, responsibility and accountability. Only then will we move the needle and #changetheculture to a more healthy and prosperous environment, free from #abuse and #workplacesexualharassment. What will you do to effect meaningful change? #TimesUp. Let’s #playnice. For more on this and other topics, please visit us at www.thesandboxseries.com.