New Jersey’s Lt. Governor Resigns After Investigative Report Released That Alleges He Engaged In Sexual Harassment Against Staff: Dale Caldwell Was The State’s First Black Male Lt. Governor

Lieutenant Governor Dr. Dale Gilbert Caldwell resigned from office Friday, cutting short a historic political tenure following a state-commissioned ethics investigation that reportedly substantiated allegations of sexual harassment, abuse of office, and repeated workplace policy violations.

According to New Jersey’s governor, Mikie Sherrill, the investigation found “serious, repeated violations of state policy, including ethical lapses and a substantiated finding of sexual harassment”.

The resignation comes just eight months into the administration of Sherrill, who demanded Caldwell step down immediately after receiving the 61-page independent investigative report–which she then released publicly.

“I’m calling for his resignation and giving him until tomorrow to do so,” Sherrill said on Thursday.

Caldwell’s resignation, she added, “is necessary and in the best interest of New Jersey residents.”

Caldwell, an academic, author, and ordained minister, had made history earlier this year as New Jersey’s first male and also first Black male lieutenant governor.

The independent probe, conducted by an outside law firm, concluded that Caldwell engaged in a pattern of misconduct during his brief tenure. Chief among the findings was a reported claim of sexual harassment involving an inappropriate, sexually suggestive comment made to a female staffer in which Caldwell allegedly said to the woman, who had rebuffed him, “You young women want young sperm”.

Investigators also reportedly found that Caldwell improperly used his state email account to advocate for the promotion of a state employee with whom he was romantically involved.

Furthermore, the report detailed multiple instances where Caldwell bypassed ethics protocols by bringing personal guests to ticketed events without obtaining prior clearance or offering reimbursement—a practice investigators noted continued even after Caldwell received formal ethics training.

Caldwell entered office with an extensive background in education and public service. The son of prominent civil rights leader the late Rev. Dr. Gilbert Haven Caldwell, he previously served as New Jersey’s Deputy Commissioner of Community Affairs and spent 26 years on the New Brunswick Board of Education. He also had a notable career in academia and business, having served as the first Black president of Centenary University from 2023 to 2025 and as a senior manager at Deloitte Consulting.

In a statement, Caldwell and his legal counsel strenuously denied the allegations, labeling the report’s conclusions as false and one-sided. However, Caldwell noted that he chose to step down to prevent the controversy from becoming a “distraction to the administration.”

Governor Sherrill vowed to move quickly moved to fill the vacancy, and announced that State Comptroller Shirley Emehelu will step in to succeed Caldwell as Acting Secretary Of State, a position Caldwell also held.

Prior to 2010, New Jersey was one of a handful of states that do not have a lieutenant governor.