6 ms·

Former Unity Technology VP files lawsuit alleging CEO sexually harassed her

60 points by mikkelewis 7y ago

bzfwh 7y ago
idk why they keep bothering to hire women tbh, they always cause trouble either by their own actions or the actions of degenerate men.
- m-p-3 7y ago
  Shut up and let the harrasser be, right?
  - dang 7y ago
    Please don't break the site guidelines by replying to egregious comments, a.k.a. feeding trolls. Instead, flag the comment by clicking on the timestamp to go to its page, then clicking 'flag' at the top. Flags bring comments to moderator attention, and often kill the comment as well. In egregious cases, you can let us know at hn@ycombinator.com so we can act on it sooner. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
    - ThrowawayR2 7y ago
      > * Flags bring comments to moderator attention, ...* Is that what they do? The FAQ and guidelines don't explain flags or the circumstances under which they should be used very well. I always was under the impression that flags only did the "kill the comment" part of what you said and others may be as well.
s33n 7y ago
It's honestly shocking to me how people can continue to behave like this, especially in the aftermath of #metoo. I suspect there's just something about being in a position of ultimate privilege that conditions you to think you're invincible until you're not.
- hn_throwaway_99 7y ago
  Well, right now we are only privy to one side of the story. Indeed, the article goes over the story of how the accuser in this case alleged that she herself was the victim of false sexual harassment allegations, so seems like it's best to reserve judgement until both sides come out.
- bsder 7y ago
  The primary point of clawing your way to a CEO slot is power. Once you are in that position: 1) You are going to exercize that power that you finally have. 2) You lose most negative feedback mechanisms as everybody now wants to gain your favor. Consequently, you continue do things until you do the one that is a bridge too far and get burned.
  - Consultant32452 7y ago
    Those are some pretty strong allegations to make so broadly.
    - dboreham 7y ago
      But extensively covered in literature. E.g. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sorcerer%27s_Apprentice https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sorcerer%27s_Apprentice
- Creationer 7y ago
  And yet in other threads here on HN, we're decrying the breakdown of the family, epidemics of loneliness, and low rates of relationships and marriage for young people. Given that the workplace is now the only place to interact with the opposite sex (for many people), I think it would be healthier to acknowledge it as a relationship foundry, and figure out how to use it to forge healthy adult relationships, whilst avoiding adultery and abuse.
  - ralfn 7y ago
    It's called Tinder. It's better for everyone to just date outside of the office. And if you can't succeed there any success within the office is a hint that maybe power dyanmics and subtle coercion is at play.
echelon 7y ago
From what I can tell from the article, these are allegations. I don't see any mention of emails or text messages (I skimmed a bit, but not enough to miss something like that). Maybe records exist and can be used to prove harassment, but what's the point of publicizing this until the case has been decided? The media loves to publish this stuff because it gets everyone riled up. But until anything is proven in court, it doesn't mean anything. What if nothing actually happened? Reputations can be ruined. I'd love to have feedback from divergent perspectives or opinions. My current feeling is that we should keep these cases sealed until there is a verdict, but perhaps that's oppressive? I wish we were all above this kind of behavior.
- Pfhreak 7y ago
  > But until anything is proven in court, it doesn't mean anything. I don't know that court is the bar for 'meaning something'. For example, if a victim has evidence but for various reasons cannot succeed in a court case (statute of limitations, for example) are you really saying their allegations don't mean anything?
  - paulddraper 7y ago
    Yes, but you often don't have all the facts until it goes to court. Person A reveals plain-as-day romantically suggestive emails, blows the lid off the story, gets media attention. Only until sometime later does Person B provide the emails proving it was a two way thing.
  - paulryanrogers 7y ago
    This reminds me of the OJ Simpson murder trials, one criminal and one civil. But two different outcomes. Harvey Weinstein is facing both a judicial and public trial of sorts. Yet in that case there appear to be more public accusers, and some with nothing to gain and much to lose. (Which I think makes their statements more convincing, if more difficult to produce an independent jury for any judicial trial.) EDIT: typo
- jakelazaroff 7y ago
  A courtroom verdict doesn't "prove" anything. All it means is that a set of lawyers and witnesses were able to convince the people on the jury to believe beyond a reasonable doubt (or not) that the events that were alleged actually happened. Trials are the best way our society has figured out to come to the correct conclusion, but don't make the mistake of thinking the verdict always accurately reflects the events as they occurred. There are many, many cases with unjust outcomes.
new_realist 7y ago
So the CEO was in a relationship with the head of HR, while the alleged victim herself had a brief relationship with (by all appearances) a subordinate in her own reporting chain. So many "not good ideas" happening in this company.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
thatoneuser 7y ago
Allegations should not be news. Misandry at its finest, considering she herself claims to be the victim of false allegations.
- jmull 7y ago
  > ...considering she herself claims to be the victim of false allegations. That only makes sense if you assume her allegations are false.
  - neya 7y ago
    Well, then the only other way is to assume the allegations are true, which also has severe consequences to the accused if it were actually false. Which is why, it's best we leave this to investigators to come up with substantial evidence to back up the allegations (or not).
    - jmull 7y ago
      > ...the only other way is to assume the allegations are true We could assume nothing at this point, right?

60 points by mikkelewis 7y ago

idk why they keep bothering to hire women tbh, they always cause trouble either by their own actions or the actions of degenerate men.

m-p-3 7y ago
Shut up and let the harrasser be, right?
- dang 7y ago
  Please don't break the site guidelines by replying to egregious comments, a.k.a. feeding trolls. Instead, flag the comment by clicking on the timestamp to go to its page, then clicking 'flag' at the top. Flags bring comments to moderator attention, and often kill the comment as well. In egregious cases, you can let us know at hn@ycombinator.com so we can act on it sooner. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - ThrowawayR2 7y ago
    > * Flags bring comments to moderator attention, ...* Is that what they do? The FAQ and guidelines don't explain flags or the circumstances under which they should be used very well. I always was under the impression that flags only did the "kill the comment" part of what you said and others may be as well.

s33n 7y ago

It's honestly shocking to me how people can continue to behave like this, especially in the aftermath of #metoo. I suspect there's just something about being in a position of ultimate privilege that conditions you to think you're invincible until you're not.

hn_throwaway_99 7y ago
Well, right now we are only privy to one side of the story. Indeed, the article goes over the story of how the accuser in this case alleged that she herself was the victim of false sexual harassment allegations, so seems like it's best to reserve judgement until both sides come out.
bsder 7y ago
The primary point of clawing your way to a CEO slot is power. Once you are in that position: 1) You are going to exercize that power that you finally have. 2) You lose most negative feedback mechanisms as everybody now wants to gain your favor. Consequently, you continue do things until you do the one that is a bridge too far and get burned.
- Consultant32452 7y ago
  Those are some pretty strong allegations to make so broadly.
  - dboreham 7y ago
    But extensively covered in literature. E.g. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sorcerer%27s_Apprentice https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sorcerer%27s_Apprentice
Creationer 7y ago
And yet in other threads here on HN, we're decrying the breakdown of the family, epidemics of loneliness, and low rates of relationships and marriage for young people. Given that the workplace is now the only place to interact with the opposite sex (for many people), I think it would be healthier to acknowledge it as a relationship foundry, and figure out how to use it to forge healthy adult relationships, whilst avoiding adultery and abuse.
- ralfn 7y ago
  It's called Tinder. It's better for everyone to just date outside of the office. And if you can't succeed there any success within the office is a hint that maybe power dyanmics and subtle coercion is at play.

echelon 7y ago

From what I can tell from the article, these are allegations. I don't see any mention of emails or text messages (I skimmed a bit, but not enough to miss something like that). Maybe records exist and can be used to prove harassment, but what's the point of publicizing this until the case has been decided? The media loves to publish this stuff because it gets everyone riled up. But until anything is proven in court, it doesn't mean anything. What if nothing actually happened? Reputations can be ruined. I'd love to have feedback from divergent perspectives or opinions. My current feeling is that we should keep these cases sealed until there is a verdict, but perhaps that's oppressive? I wish we were all above this kind of behavior.

Pfhreak 7y ago
> But until anything is proven in court, it doesn't mean anything. I don't know that court is the bar for 'meaning something'. For example, if a victim has evidence but for various reasons cannot succeed in a court case (statute of limitations, for example) are you really saying their allegations don't mean anything?
- paulddraper 7y ago
  Yes, but you often don't have all the facts until it goes to court. Person A reveals plain-as-day romantically suggestive emails, blows the lid off the story, gets media attention. Only until sometime later does Person B provide the emails proving it was a two way thing.
- paulryanrogers 7y ago
  This reminds me of the OJ Simpson murder trials, one criminal and one civil. But two different outcomes. Harvey Weinstein is facing both a judicial and public trial of sorts. Yet in that case there appear to be more public accusers, and some with nothing to gain and much to lose. (Which I think makes their statements more convincing, if more difficult to produce an independent jury for any judicial trial.) EDIT: typo
jakelazaroff 7y ago
A courtroom verdict doesn't "prove" anything. All it means is that a set of lawyers and witnesses were able to convince the people on the jury to believe beyond a reasonable doubt (or not) that the events that were alleged actually happened. Trials are the best way our society has figured out to come to the correct conclusion, but don't make the mistake of thinking the verdict always accurately reflects the events as they occurred. There are many, many cases with unjust outcomes.

new_realist 7y ago

So the CEO was in a relationship with the head of HR, while the alleged victim herself had a brief relationship with (by all appearances) a subordinate in her own reporting chain. So many "not good ideas" happening in this company.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

thatoneuser 7y ago

Allegations should not be news. Misandry at its finest, considering she herself claims to be the victim of false allegations.

jmull 7y ago
> ...considering she herself claims to be the victim of false allegations. That only makes sense if you assume her allegations are false.
- neya 7y ago
  Well, then the only other way is to assume the allegations are true, which also has severe consequences to the accused if it were actually false. Which is why, it's best we leave this to investigators to come up with substantial evidence to back up the allegations (or not).
  - jmull 7y ago
    > ...the only other way is to assume the allegations are true We could assume nothing at this point, right?