According to a civil complaint filed in a California court against Pinterest, the company’s culture is male-centric, and gender and race discrimination are rampant at the highest levels. The lawsuit was filed by the company’s former chief operating officer, a woman who claims that she was targeted for gender discrimination despite leading the company through its public offering and greatly increasing its revenues. Two black women who are former employees also have come forward with complaints about gender and race discrimination.
Gender discrimination among C-suite executives
The former chief operating officer of Pinterest, Françoise Brougher, claims that she was fired from her position by the company’s chief executive officer after complaining about gender discrimination and an unequal pay structure. Brougher claims that female executives at the company were excluded and marginalized by the male executives and the CEO. She claims that despite her excellent record, she was pushed out of meetings. She complained about her pay structure after learning that she was paid less than her male counterparts to the CEO. Brougher states that after she complained about sexist comments a male executive made to her, the CEO fired her via videoconferencing.
Allegations of race discrimination at Pinterest
In addition to Brougher’s claims of gender discrimination, two former employees who are black also have come forward to talk about the racial discrimination that they faced at Pinterest. One employee stated that despite the fact that she is a Yale graduate and an alum of Google and Facebook, she had to fight for more than a year to try to get equal pay. The second Black employee stated that she was replaced by a white male after she left. Pinterest states that it is reviewing the company’s culture and practices.
Gender and race discrimination in the workplace are illegal under California and federal law. Unfortunately, unlawful workplace discrimination remains common. Peop,e at workplaces with cultures that encourage gender and race bias might benefit from consulting with employment law attorneys. The lawyers may provide confidential case evaluations and explain the legal options that might be available.
