Lurid Lawsuit’s Quiet End Leaves Silicon Valley Start-Up Barely Dented
The executives of some Silicon Valley companies have been forced out of their corporate positions because of sexual improprieties between themselves and employees, but one company has weathered a similar ordeal with little apparent repercussion.
The New York Times discusses the case of Upload, an entertainment and news hub for the VR industry. When the former digital media manager sued the company after she was fired, allegedly because she complained about the hostile atmosphere, the company at first denied the allegations. Then, as the Times‘ story about the suit neared publication, Upload’s CEO and president issued a statement saying, “We let you down and we are sorry.”
The Silicon Valley story took a turn. As reporter David Streitfeld writes:
In contrast to the venture capitalists who were knocked off their perches this summer by harassment complaints, Upload was scarcely dented by the publicity surrounding [the] suit. [The CEO and president] were not forced to resign. Investors did not pull their money. The company’s events continued, if in terms that were a bit more muted.