Although a 45-year-old woman’s gender discrimination case against a capital venture company brought focus to how women who work in venture capital are treated versus the treatment of their male counterparts, the jury still chose this week to vote against the woman, in effect, ending her lawsuit. The women had alleged that while working for the company, she was not only denied raises and promotions because of the fact that she is a female, but was also the continued subject of sexual harassment by her male co-workers.
The woman, who was ultimately fired by the company for under-performance in her job, filed the lawsuit in 2012 claiming that the partners in the company had turned against her after she made a complaint about a male co-worker who reportedly had been pressuring her to have an affair. According to court testimony, a female partner also was the subject of sexual advances from the same man, stating that while on a business trip in 2011, the man had arrived at her hotel room door while wearing a bathrobe.
Although jury members heard testimony from some two dozen witnesses from both sides with some in favor of the woman, they ultimately decided that the company’s timeline didn’t show a consistent favoring of men over women. Interestingly, the jury initially had an 8 to 4 vote before going back into deliberations with a final outcome of 9 to 3 in the defendant’s favor.
Individuals who believe they are victims of workplace discrimination may have value legal rights and could potentially benefit from learning more about these rights.
Source: Insurance Journal, “Woman Loses California Gender-Discrimination Suit,” Robert Burnson, Pamela Maclean, March. 30, 2015
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