Facebook is facing a lawsuit filed by its former employee who allegedly experienced gender discrimination, racial discrimination and sexual harassment while working at the company.
The lawsuit against Facebook was filed by Chia Hong, who worked at the social network giant from June 2010 to October 2013. Hong claimed that she was treated differently because of her gender and race during her tenure in the company.
In her complaint, Hong claimed that she was “belittled” when she was still working at Facebook. According to her, there was a time when she was asked, “why she did not just stay at home and take care of her children.”
Hong also claimed that she was reprimanded for taking time off to volunteer at her child’s school. In addition, Hong said that she was ordered to do something that is not part of her job description such as organizing parties and serving drinks to male colleagues.
She filed her complaint against Facebook at the San Mateo Superior Court on Monday. The law firm, Lawless and Lawless is representing Hong in the case.
Facebook denied the allegations
Facebook issued a statement to Re/code denying Hong’s allegations against the social network giant.
“We work extremely hard on issues related to diversity, gender and equality, and we believe we’ve made progress. In this case we have substantive disagreements on the facts, and we believe the record shows the employee was treated fairly,” according to the spokesman of Facebook.
Hong’s sex discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit against Facebook came after Ellen Pao, a former junior investing partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers filed a gender discrimination case against the venture capital firm. Lawless and Lawless is also representing Pao.
Pao’s case against the venture capital firm attracted attention particularly among women in the Silicon Valley, where gender inequality has been the one of the primary issues confronting the tech industry.
When she filed her case, technology observers speculated that other women in the industry would come forward with similar complaints. Hong signals that the speculation could happen.
