United States: CFWIJ stands in solidarity with Shelley Ross regarding her sexual harassment allegation against Chris Cuomo

September 27, 2021, New York - In an op-ed published in The New York Times, former TV news producer at ABC and CBS, Shelley Ross recounted the time she was harassed by Chris Cuomo at a party in 2005. Cuomo, who is now a renowned name at CNN, was working under Shelley Ross shortly before the incident took place. He reportedly groped her publicly and tried to play it off as a joke when rebuked. Cuomo has recently been criticized for aiding the PR response to the sexual harassment claims filed by several women journalists against his brother, Andrew Cuomo, former Governor of New York.

In the op-ed, Shelley recounts the conversation and the disrespect she felt, not just because of the incident, but how Cuomo reacted to the situation later. Shelley and Cuomo were in attendance at a “going away party” for one of their colleagues at ABC, when according to Shelley, Cuomo “walked toward me and greeted me with a strong bear hug while lowering one hand to firmly grab and squeeze the cheek of my buttock.” 

As he did this, Cuomo told Shelley that “I can do this now that you’re no longer my boss.”

Shelley instantly rebuked his actions and reminded him of professional and personal boundaries that existed between them regardless of their roles in the company. Her husband, who was also present at the party at the time, witnessed the entire exchange. An hour later, Cuomo sent an apology note to Shelley, which apologized to her husband before it even acknowledged his inappropriate behaviour towards her. Shelley shared the apology note, in which Cuomo first states that “as a husband I can empathize with not liking to see my wife patted as such. So pass along my apology to your very good and noble husband,” before finally apologizing to Shelley herself, “And I apologize to you as well, for even putting you in such a position… next time, I will remember the lesson, no matter how happy I am to see you.” 

In the article Shelley claims that she does not hold any ill-will against Cuomo, however, she would appreciate some journalistic accountability that extends beyond mere posturing. She provided examples of what accountability for a media conglomerate like CNN and a renowned journalist like Cuomo can look like beyond apologies and job shuffling. “I would, however, like to see him journalistically repent: agree on air to study the impact of sexism, harassment and gender bias in the workplace, including his own, and then report on it. He could host a series of live town hall meetings, with documentary footage, produced by women with expert consultants. Call it ‘The Continuing Education of Chris Cuomo’ and make this a watershed moment instead of another stain on the career of one more powerful male news anchor,” she said in the op-ed.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in solidarity with Shelley Ross and is grateful for her to speak about, what must have been, an extremely stressful memory to recall. The news media industry needs to acknowledge the gender bias that extends within, even among the most politically correct, and actively work to rectify it. The change cannot be restricted to repercussions for isolated instances but should instead be more structural and systemic. News platforms and male journalists need to offer alliances to the women who work in the industry in order to ensure that the workplace is safe for all its members.