ALBANY (WCBS 880/AP) -- State University of New York Chancellor Jim Malatras announced Thursday that he was resigning after text messages released from the investigation into Andrew Cuomo showed Malatras mocked one of the women who later accused the former governor of sexual harassment.
In a letter to SUNY Board of Trustees Chairwoman Merryl Tisch, Malatras said "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."
"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," he said.
Malatras' resignation will take effect on Jan. 14, 2022.
The board of trustees, which stood behind Malatras amid calls for his resignation earlier this week, released a statement in response to his announcement, saying he brought "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 said. "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, a former top adviser to Cuomo, came under fire after Attorney General Letitia James made public transcripts and evidence from a monthslong probe of sexual harassment allegations that forced Cuomo from office. Cuomo has denied harassing anyone.
A text exchange involving Malatras and other Cuomo allies showed them mocking Lindsey Boylan, a former economic development official who was the first woman to publicly accuse Cuomo. Boylan, after leaving the administration, tweeted in 2019 that working in politics had been "a toxic and demoralizing experience."
She had yet to go public with her sexual harassment allegations against the governor.
"Let's release some of her cray emails," Malatras texted, using slang for crazy.
After Boylan called him out in a series of tweets, Malatras texted to the group: "Malatras to Boylan: Go f__ yourself."
Last Friday, the SUNY Student Assembly called for the trustees to remove Malatras with a vote of no confidence.
"Allowing the chancellor to remain in place damages the reputation of the system, detracting from our education and devaluing the degrees we are all working towards," the group, which represents students in SUNY governance, said.
In a statement last Friday, Malatras said he owed Boylan and the SUNY community an apology.
"Leadership in public service is a privilege and with it comes immense responsibility for upholding the values of professionalism, decency, and respect. I take that responsibility very seriously and in recent days it has been clear I have fallen short," he wrote, calling his remarks "inappropriate, disrespectful and wrong."
In his resignation letter Thursday, Malatras said he has "had no higher honor in my lifetime in public service than serving as the 14th Chancellor of the State University of New York."
"I would not have had the chance to serve in the highest levels of state government but for my SUNY education," he wrote. "From humble beginnings, SUNY lifted me up and offered opportunity."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
