Eric Schneiderman on women’s rights: In his own words

New York’s state attorney general often championed women’s equality. Now he will resign amid assault allegations.

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His office fought for reproductive rights and equality for women in the workplace, and he often spoke about the need to protect sexual assault survivors. Then on Monday evening State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman resigned after four women accused him in The New Yorker magazine of physically assaulting them.

Here’s a look back at what Schneiderman has said about women’s rights and violence against women during his time as attorney general.

April 16, 2018:

Schneiderman applauded The New York Times and New Yorker journalists who won the Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the #MeToo movement. He noted their work spurred a “national reckoning,” Schneiderman said in a tweet.

Feb. 12, 2018:

Schneiderman’s office filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Weinstein Company, to ensure victims be compensated following a sale of the company. Speaking at a news conference, he said:

“We have never seen anything as despicable as what we’ve seen right here.”

Jan. 21, 2018:

“Women led the way yesterday, and hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers followed. Keep marching, keep speaking out, and keep standing up for each other,” Schneiderman tweeted about the Women’s March.

Dec. 18, 2017:

Schneiderman spoke out about efforts to keep an undocumented minor who was raped from receiving an abortion. He said in a statement at the time:

“We will not allow this administration to prey on young and vulnerable women in pursuit of a radical anti-abortion agenda.”

Nov. 28, 2017:

Schneiderman announced a settlement with Brooklyn Hospital after it illegally charged sexual assault survivors for rape kits.

Nov. 4, 2017:

Schneiderman tweeted about his experience working at an abortion clinic in Washington, D.C., after graduating high school.

Aug. 25, 2017:

“It is 2017. It is long past time that women and men enjoy the same rights, privileges, and treatment,” Schneiderman tweeted in honor of #WomensEqualityDay.

Aug. 9, 2017:

“I’m proud that in my office, two-thirds of our bureaus are led by outstanding women attorneys,” Schneiderman said in a series of tweets on the topic. “We won’t stop striving for gender equality.”

July 19, 2017:

Schneiderman and 19 other attorneys general sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos rebuking the potential roll back of Title IX guidelines on campus sexual assault investigations. He said in a statement:

“Secretary DeVos and the Trump administration must ensure student safety and send a clear message: sexual assault has no place on our campuses or anywhere.”

April 29, 2015:

“Today, we stand with victims to share 1 clear message: There’s no excuse for committing acts of sexual violence,” Schneiderman tweeted.

He shared the message on Denim Day, an annual event that started after an Italian court overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore jeans during the assault. The justices believed that because the jeans were tightfitting the victim had to have removed them herself, implying her consent.

Sept. 13, 2014:

On the 20th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, Schneiderman said in a statement that safety is a “fundamental right.”

“Basic safety is not a privilege: It is a fundamental right. Protecting all Americans from harm, regardless of their relationship to their abuser or their gender, is and will remain one of the most important aspects of our ongoing pursuit of equal justice under law.”

March 16, 2010:

As a state senator, Schneiderman sponsored a bill that made strangulation a violent felony. He said his recent investigation of former Sen. Hiram Monserrate, who was expelled from the Senate following a misdemeanor conviction for assaulting his girlfriend, brought domestic violence issues “closer to home” for him, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported.

“Very simply, somewhat remarkably and perhaps disgracefully, in New York right now, strangulation to the point of rendering someone unsconscious is not treated as an assault. This bill would correct that fundamental error.”