SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras Resigns Amid Fallout Over Cuomo Investigation Transcripts
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras tendered his resignation Thursday.
"I have had no higher honor in my lifetime in public service than serving as the 14th Chancellor of the State University of New York," he said in a letter to the board of trustees. "I'm proud to have been the first SUNY graduate ever to become Chancellor. I would not have had the chance to serve in the highest levels of state government but for my SUNY education. From humble beginnings, SUNY lifted me up and offered opportunity."
The announcement came amid fallout over the sexual misconduct scandal engulfing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Malatras came under fire after state Attorney General Letitia James released transcripts from the investigation into sexual harassment allegations against the former governor.
A text exchange from 2019 involving Malatras and other Cuomo allies showed them privately mocking Lindsey Boylan, who would later become the first woman to publicly accuse Cuomo.
Web Extra: Read Malatras' letter to board of trustees (pdf)
At the time, Boylan had yet to go public with her sexual harassment allegations against the governor. But after leaving the administration, she tweeted that working in politics had been "a toxic and demoralizing experience."
"Let's release some of her cray emails," Malatras texted, using slang for crazy.
Boylan had departed the administration after some of her subordinates complained about her own workplace behavior, saying they felt bullied.
Also, the Times Union of Albany reported this week that when Malatras led the SUNY Rockefeller Institute, he called a female employee "a misery" and "goddamn impossible."
"The 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," Malatras' letter to the board continued. "I believe 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."
The board had said last week it supported Malatras, but state lawmakers and others called for his resignation.
"We want to thank Dr. Jim Malatras for his extraordinary service to the entire SUNY system. The past two years have been among the most trying in SUNY's history—and Jim's leadership and collaboration with our faculty and staff have allowed our institution to continue to thrive and serve our nearly 400,000 students at 64 campuses across our state safely and in person," the board of trustees said in a statement Thursday. "He has been a champion for our students, for access, for equity, and for deeper public investment in this great institution. The entire board expresses our gratitude for his dedication and leadership."
Malatras said he will step down on Jan. 14.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
