It is expected that all workers are to be treated equally and with respect, regardless of their genders. Additionally, all qualified applicants should have the same shot at achieving promotions or increases in pay. Sadly, even today, unfair treatment is still happening in the workplace and most employees are afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation or being subjected to a hostile work environment. Workers in Texas and elsewhere should not be afraid to voice their concerns about disparate treatment that could be based upon discrimination.
A former venture capitalist for Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is claiming that her career was stagnated because she was a woman. She asserts that her first complaints were made after she was the victim of sexual harassment by one of the junior partners who also happened to be married. The company allegedly did nothing about her complaints and the treatment continued.
She alleges that the company fostered an environment in which women were excluded from meetings, one example being a dinner with Al Gore that only men attended. Furthermore, the company paid woman less than men and did not give them the same opportunities for advancement. Ultimately, she was fired for not performing her duties up to company standards.
She is asking for $16 million in her discrimination claim against KPCB. According to Kleiner, the plaintiff manipulated the actual events that occurred in an effort to create legal issues when there were not any. The company also said that immediately after she brought up the issues she was having, an investigation was done, but it was decided that there was not any basis for her claims. Texas workers who find themselves in similar situations may elect to pursue legal recourse against their employers.
Source: mercurynews.com, “Ellen Pao seeking $16 million in sex discrimination lawsuit against Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers“, Heather Somerville, Feb. 2, 2015
