Maybe sexual harassment by elected officials shouldn't end happily for them

I spent last weekend in New York, as I try to do once a year, for the primary purpose of seeing the latest hot show or two on Broadway. I'd love to say I am expert at picking the best shows, but the truth is, if a show has gotten my attention in the heartland, it's a safe bet. "Maybe Happy Ending" first caught my eye with its list of Tony nominations, so I bought the tickets. After my purchase, the show won six, including Best Musical. While I was in the city, the political ads were relentless on TV and on many of the digital billboards in Times Square. Tuesday was the Democratic primary election for mayor of the city—a contest that lately has, if nothing else, been a source of entertainment for the rest of the country. This time around, however, the contest is enraging. Former New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, has been leading in the polls to win. Victory will bring him a new job, and as some suggest, redemption. Cuomo resigned from office in August of 2021, during his third term as governor. The state legislature was preparing to impeach him at the time. New York's attorney general had released the results of an investigation that found Cuomo had sexually harassed at least 11 women. He had created a work environment "rife with fear and intimidation." Where are these women now? Our culture doesn't ask this question or consider the answer deeply enough. The public is being asked to forgive or forget how the politician's abhorrent behavior forever changed their victim's life trajectories. If we collectively put this question up front, where it belongs, we would be less susceptible to reenlisting for the ridiculous: That these perpetrators are worthy of their victims' trust or ours ever again. Cuomo's career in public service should have ended permanently four years ago. His resignation was the end of his defense and likely provided some level of closure to those he harmed. I doubt the ending was happy for the victims, but that "Maybe Happy Ending" was better than the fantasy that the abhorrent behavior never occurred. Cuomo's attempt at "redemption" is an exercise in pretending.   Connect with Michael Leppert Visit michaelleppert.com to read the full post and links to any resources or articles mentioned. Twitter @michaelleppert  Facebook at Michael Leppert Michael Leppert is an author, educator and a communication consultant in Indianapolis. He writes about government, politics and culture at MichaelLeppert.com. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Indiana Citizen or any other affiliated organization.