Source: Bloomberg / Getty
As the organization continues to take heat for how it’s handled former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s sexual misconduct scandal, TIME’S UP’s President And CEO Tina Tchen has resigned.
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Tchen made the announcement via a statement released on August 26.
“I have spent a career fighting for positive change for women and I’ve never stopped,” she stated. “Leading TIME’S UP has been a hugely rewarding experience and we have accomplished much together that has made work better for women across the country.”
Noting her belief in it being time for the organization to “evolve and move forward,” Tchen shared that her employment at TIME’S UP had become “painful” and contentious.
“It is clear that I am not the leader who can accomplish that in this moment. I am especially aware that my position at the helm of TIME’S UP has become a painful and divisive focal point,” she highlighted, “where those very women and other activists who should be working together to fight for change are instead battling each other in harmful ways.”
Tchen’s departure follows the organization’s involvement in helping Cuomo address his sexual misconduct and accusers. A report released last month by New York Attorney General Letitia James detailed that the law firm owned by TIME’S UP’s founder Roberta Kaplan, represents a former Cuomo aide who helped draft a letter bashing Cuomo’s first accuser Lindsey Boylan.
Kaplan resigned from TIME’S UP earlier this month.
The organization was further implicated by James’ report after it additionally exposed that Tchen in particular had sent a text to TIME’S UP staff members in December 2020 telling them to “stand down” from making their support of Boylan public.
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On August 9, a group of sexual assault and harassment survivors published an open letter that argued Kaplan and Tchen had “weaponized their knowledge of survivors experiences to help Governor Cuomo and his office retaliate against at least one of nearly a dozen women,” and that “TIME’S UP has prioritized its proximity to power over mission.”
A statement released by the organization’s Board of Directors noted:
“In sum, Tina has made a difference in the lives of so many and we are grateful for her hard work and impact. Accepting her resignation today is a demonstration of accountability and will allow our organization to move forward.”
Chief Operating Officer Monifa Bandele joined the organization in October 2020. She will begin serving as TIME’S UP’s Interim CEO on Tuesday, August 31.
MADAMENOIRE got the opportunity to interview Bandele early this year as sexual assault allegations against high-profile celebrities rocked the Black community. At that time, Bandele talked with us about the We, As Ourselves initiative, offering culturally compassionate and accessible care to sexual assault survivors of color, and why giving Black survivors the platform to authentically share their experiences was important.
Read that interview here.
