We’ve been pretty critical of the men who have helped Shelly Silver stay on as Assembly speaker even after learning about how he covered for sexual harassers such as Vito Lopez and Michael Boxley. It turns out Albany’s women are just as enabling.
As part of his public rehabilitation, the speaker last week invited female Democratic Assembly members to a breakfast to discuss the issue. Confirmed attendees include:
Didi Barrett (Poughkeepsie), Barbara Clark (Queens Village), Patricia Fahy (Albany), Vanessa L. Gibson (Morris Heights), Ellen Jaffee (Pearl River), Michelle Schimel (Great Neck), Michaelle “Mickey” Solages (Elmont), Amy Paulin (Scarsdale), Sandra Galef (Ossining), Donna Lupardo (Binghampton), Margaret Markey (Maspeth), Shelley Mayer (Yonkers), Joan Millman (Brooklyn Heights), Crystal Peoples-Stokes (Buffalo), Gabriela Rosa (Washington Heights), Linda Rosenthal (Upper West Side) and Nily Rozic (Flushing).
Whatever these women said at the breakfast, their post-breakfast, public response was muted. One notable exception: When contacted by The Post, Sandy Galef refrained from giving Silver a vote of confidence, saying, “We’ll have to see what comes next” in the way of reforms.
Asked why she thought that Silver stumbles over sexual-harassment issues, Galef said, “I don’t know for sure. I think he’s protective of the Assembly and those who work for the Assembly.” How sad that such protection didn’t extend to female staffers who work for the Assembly.
Even sadder is that not one of the attendees is demanding Silver step down. Which leads to this question: In the future, how are we to take any statement or legislation by these women on sexual harassment seriously, when they help keep in power a man who covered it up in their own institution?
Meanwhile, the attendance of the following couldn’t be confirmed: Carmen Arroyo (Bronx), Barbara Lifton (Ithaca), Catherine Nolan (Sunnyside), Aileen Gunther (Middletown), Helene Weinstein (Crown Heights), Aravella Simotas (Astoria), Deborah Glick (West Village), Rhoda Jacobs (Flatbush), Earlene Hooper (Hempstead), Addie Russell (Watertown).
But if any wish to call on Silver to step down, we’ll applaud.