Silicon Valley startup accused of encouraging sexual behavior in workplace
Silicon Valley has been rocked by one sexual harassment lawsuit after another this year, drawing attention to a pervasive problem that exists in far too many workplaces in the technology sector.
In a recent case, a former employee sued UploadVR for sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination and retaliation. The Oakland-based virtual reality startup settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount.
Elizabeth Scott, who worked as a digital and social media director at the company, said the workplace was unbearable due to the “rampant sexual behavior” it cultivated. She described the offices as having a sexually charged atmosphere, including a “kink room” in which workers were encouraged to have sex. In addition, a manager allegedly made repeated comments about her body.
In her discrimination claim, Scott said female employees were paid unfairly in comparison to male colleagues and excluded from meetings, work lunches and important emails. They were also required to clean the kitchen and carry out other menial tasks. Scott said she was fired after complaining about the workplace discrimination and sexual harassment.
After the lawsuit, UploadVR appeared to be taking steps to improve its workplace culture. The company appointed new senior management, set up a human resources team, created an employee handbook and established a process that allows the safe reporting of workplace issues. However, founders Taylor Freeman and Will Mason did not resign, unlike former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. Kalanick was forced to leave Uber amid a number of sexual harassment complaints and other controversies.
Freeman and Mason had earlier released a statement denying Scott’s allegations and saying her sexual harassment lawsuit was “without merit.” They later backtracked and issued an apology for their poor handling of the matter.
Read more
Shake Shack Worker in Oakland Gets $20K in Gender Discrimination Case
Workplace discrimination is not just limited to small offices or one-off incidents. Large companies and even multinational corporations can be hotbeds of discriminatory treatment against employees. One of the most common types…
Listen to Jason Erlich on the Trial Lawyer Prep podcast available on Apple Podcasts
Tune in to the Trial Lawyer Prep podcast where employment attorney Jason Erlich discusses his approach to preparing and working with clients to ensure a good direct exam. The episode is titled…
EEOC Sues California Restaurant Chain for Sexual Harassment and Retaliation
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against an Italian restaurant chain in California for allegedly allowing female employees to be subjected to sexual harassment by male supervisors and…
Former Tesla Contractor Gets 15 Million Dollars in Racial Discrimination Lawsuit
A Black former worker at Tesla was awarded $15 million in damages after suing the automaker for racial discrimination. A San Francisco court found that his employer failed to take any action…
SEEN ON
![cnnmoney cnnmoney](https://erlich.lawyer/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cnnmoney.jpg)
![marin-ij marin-ij](https://erlich.lawyer/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/marin-ij.jpg)
![dailypost dailypost](https://erlich.lawyer/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/dailypost.jpg)
![news10 news10](https://erlich.lawyer/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/news10.jpg)