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SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras Resigns After Disparaging Cuomo Accuser
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Dec 9, 2021
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By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Dec 9, 2021
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Jim Malatras has resigned as chancellor of New York's state university system amid growing controversy over his profanity-laced remarks about a woman who accused former Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment.
Malatras announced the departure in a resignation letter to SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Merryl Tisch on Thursday.
"Recent events surrounding me over the past week have become a distraction over the important work that needs to be accomplished as SUNY emerges from COVID-19," he wrote.
A longtime advisor to Cuomo, Malatras frequently appeared at press conferences alongside the governor in the early days of the pandemic. He was appointed as SUNY Chancellor in the summer of 2020, pledging to tackle the challenges of COVID-19 as well as affordability and access at the nation's largest public university system.
He faced mounting pressure to step down following the release of transcripts earlier this month by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The documents show that Malatras sent text messages and emails targeting Lindsay Boylan 18 months before she went public with her allegations of harassment against Cuomo.
“Malatras to Boylan: Go f--k yourself,” he wrote in one message to members of the executive chamber. In another, he said that a tweet related to Boylan was intended to "drive her nuts," before going on to suggest: "Let’s release some of her cray emails!”
According to Boylan, the texts came after she complained privately about the toxic work environment created by the former governor.
Malatras apologized for the "disparaging and disrespectful remarks." He initially signaled that he intended to remain in the position, despite growing political backlash from elected officials and outcry from a range of student groups at the university system.
In the resignation letter, Malatras wrote that he "believe[s] deeply in an individual's ability to evolve, change and grow, but I also believe deeply in SUNY and would never want to be an impediment to its success."
Earlier this week, the Times Union published audio of Malatras cursing at and berating another employee in 2017 as head of the SUNY Rockefeller Institute. “You have a f--king bad attitude on everything, lady," he could be heard saying. "You're a misery."
Malatras is just the latest member of Cuomo's inner circle to lose their job over their ties to the sexual harassment scandal, joining Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David; Time's Up CEO Tina Tchen and chairwoman Roberta Kaplan; and CNN anchor Chris Cuomo.
Malatras intends to step down on January 14th.
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Cuomo in Crisis
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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