Harassment-Free New York
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hfny.bsky.social
Harassment-Free New York
@hfny.bsky.social
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Fighting for a NY where public servants and all workers have stronger protections against harassment and discrimination, clearer paths to justice, and real accountability for perpetrators.
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hfny.bsky.social
Our Founding Director, @ericaforny.bsky.social, wrote a guest post for the National Women's Defense League Worked Up Substack. Read more about how survivor advocacy defeated a powerful perpetrator in the NYC mayoral race: open.substack.com/pub/natwomen...
A screenshot of the substack post linked in the skeet that says: Why This Victory Matters On August 10, 2021, Cuomo resigned as New York State Governor (to avoid impeachment) after an independent investigation found that he sexually harassed at least 11 women—many of whom worked for him—and created a toxic and retaliatory work environment. In the months and years after his resignation, Cuomo spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars weaponizing the legal system against the women he was found to have harassed. It was clear that Cuomo’s mayoral bid was more about power than a desire to represent the largest city in the country. And survivors were having none of that shit. As a co-founder of the Sexual Harassment Working Group and now the Founding Director of Harassment-Free New York (HFNY), I worked closely with other survivor advocates and activists to ensure voters knew exactly who Andrew Cuomo is. What made this campaign successful wasn’t just passion—it was strategy, infrastructure, and sustained organizational capacity. Here are two important and replicable strategies that can be applied in jurisdictions across the country:
November 13, 2025 at 8:02 PM
hfny.bsky.social
New York City doesn't want a Mayor who sexually harasses his staff and the women he's supposed to represent.

New York City doesn't want a corrupt mayor.

Bye, Andrew 👋
“Tonight, New Yorkers sent an unmistakable message: we will not tolerate corruption, and we will not forget. “Over a year ago, Harassment-Free New York began reminding voters of who Andrew Cuomo really is—a corrupt ex-politician using our taxpayer dollars to wage legal warfare against the women he sexually harassed. Working alongside survivors and advocates, we made sure every voter understood what we've known all along: sexual harassment is the canary in the corruption coal mine. “By rejecting Cuomo's comeback attempt and electing Zohran Mamdani, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers declared that sexual harassment is corruption—and we've had enough. “But our work is far from over. Cuomo is still using taxpayer funds to harass his victims while trying to silence others with a defamation suit. Cuomo and his team of enablers are the poster children of a system that has allowed corruption to flourish for far too long in New York. “Tonight, we celebrate closing this absurd chapter—the chapter where Cuomo thought he could waltz back into the political arena as if nothing happened. The chapter where some people told us that threats and bullying and fear-mongering were acceptable in the name of ‘progress.’ Instead, New Yorkers spoke up, and proudly declared enough was enough. “Tomorrow, we get back to work. Harassment-Free New York will continue leading the fight to make every workplace, including the halls of government, a safe environments for everyone. Tonight's mandate gives us strength. And we're just getting started.”
November 5, 2025 at 3:16 AM
hfny.bsky.social
@gothamist.com reported yesterday that Small was already investigated for his treatment of staff. The fact that he was still in a position to allegedly sexually harass someone is deeply concerning. Gov. Hochul must transparently remedy the gaps in the executive chamber worker protections policies.
A tweet that says: UPDATE: Avi Small, Gov. Kathy Hochul's press secretary, resigned today. He had been placed on leave last week and was being investigated after another aide accused him of inappropriate touching. Is quote tweeted, saying: Recent reports indicate that the executive chamber's worker protections and accountability protocols have significant gaps that need to be addressed. Mr. Small’s resignation should not close the book on transparently rectifying these deficiencies.
July 4, 2025 at 4:51 PM
hfny.bsky.social
Every person deserves a harassment-free workplace. A strong investigative process is one that centers the person who was hurt. And when they experience harassment, they deserve support and guidance.

HFNY is here to provide support if you need it.
We just learned that Gov. Kathy Hochul's spokesperson was placed on leave while an investigation takes place into a sexual harassment complaint made against them for inappropriate touching. In response, Founding Director of Harassment-Free New York Erica Vladimer made the following statement: “Any investigation of workplace sexual harassment must not only be thorough, speedy, and independent— it must also be survivor-centered. Knowing how others who have come forward were treated in the past, I hope the person who made the complaint gets the support and guidance they deserve.”
July 2, 2025 at 11:12 PM
hfny.bsky.social
Last week, HFNY Founding Director @ericaforny.bsky.social joined @lindseyboylan.bsky.social, @char-bennett.bsky.social & @biaggi4ny.bsky.social to call on state leaders to take urgent action against Cuomo’s continued abuse of taxpayer resources and legal intimidation tactics. 1/
"New Yorkers just rejected Andrew Cuomo at the ballot box. Now it's time for our state leaders to reject his taxpayer-funded retribution," said Erica Vladimer, Founding Director of Harassment-Free Albany. “Survivors and whistleblowers shouldn’t have to live in fear of being dragged through the legal system simply for telling the truth.” Speakers also advocated for the swift passage of the Speak Your Truth Act, a bill designed to protect workers and public servants from retaliatory defamation lawsuits. The legislation would provide essential protections to those who come forward with allegations of harassment or misconduct, shielding them from the kind of legal harassment that survivors and former Cuomo staffers are currently enduring. “We know that perpetrators abuse the legal system to silence their victims through retaliatory defamation lawsuits,” said survivor-advocate Charlotte Bennett. “New York deserves laws that reflect the reality of the legal system in which these suits are retaliatory in nature and muzzle the very people we're trying to protect. This isn't about politics. This isn't about a single individual. The decision is really between supporting survivors and workers and making sure that there are protections in place for them to share their experiences.” “In 2019, New York really was the pinnacle of leadership, passing the strongest laws for sexual harassment protection, putting survivors voices first and having hearings and making sure that New York continued to be a light for the rest of the nation when it came to sexual harassment and the protections that could be passed,” said former State Senator Alessandra Biaggi. “Now, today, in 2025, it is time to take that next step. We need a commitment from the legislature to pass the Speak Your Truth Act. And there is no excuse any longer to be funding any of the retaliation and, frankly, cruelty that Andrew Cuomo is pursuing by continuing to drag his survivors through the court system. We must cut off his funding, Comptroller DiNappoli. We will have your back when you do it. And we will make sure that Andrew Cuomo's reign of terror ends.” Tuesday’s election was a public repudiation of the kind of corrupt, vindictive politics Cuomo represents. Advocates say it's now up to state leaders to follow through on voters’ demands for accountability and to end the misuse of public money in service of political revenge. “Abusing the women who work for you, as Andrew Cuomo has done relentlessly, is something that every leader should care about and repudiate,” said survivor-advocate Lindsey Boylan. On a more fundamental level, Cuomo’s abuse of women is a symptom of his deep abuse of every kind of power he has ever had. New York lawmakers are either against this abuse or they’re supporting it. There are only two sides here.”
June 30, 2025 at 7:41 PM
hfny.bsky.social
Introducing Harassment-Free New York: the next step in the Sexual Harassment Working Group’s 7-year fight for workplaces free of harassment and discrimination.
Five women standing in front of a brown paneled wall with their arms around each other smiling for the picture. Digital flier that explains what HFNY is. Who we are: Since 2018, the Sexual Harassment Working Group has operated as an all-volunteer workers' collective, securing multiple legislative victories and becoming a leading voice in holding powerful individuals accountable for workplace harassment and discrimination. In 2025, with workplace and gender-based violence on the rise and new political challenges to worker safety and dignity, we're taking this vital work to the next level by launching Harassment-Free New York. What We’ve Accomplished: Organized the first public hearing on sexual harassment in NY in 27 years; Successfully advocated for New York's strengthened sexual harassment protections, including the enactment of 8 legislative bills; Helped draft the NYS Model Workplace Sexual Harassment Policy; Led the public efforts to hold current and former officials accountable What’s Next: Harassment-Free New York will build on the success of the Sexual Harassment Working Group, with staff that can give their full attention and resources to the work. Ban non-disclosure agreements and no-rehire clauses, Extend the statute of limitations to file a harassment/discrimination lawsuit, Protect victims of harassment & abuse from defamation lawsuits, Incorporate harassment & discrimination in the NY Public Officers Law ethics code, Strengthen legislative & executive chamber harassment & discrimination policies, Support the unionization of legislative employees Partner with survivor-justice & good government organizations in coalition spaces. Public servants, and all workers, deserve stronger protections against harassment and discrimination, clearer paths to justice when they experience it, and tangible accountability for perpetrators.
May 1, 2025 at 4:38 PM