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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Facebook Accused of Sexual Discrimination

(CN) - Facebook harassed a manager by making her serve drinks to male co-workers and fired her for complaining about it and other discrimination, she claims in court.

Chia Hong sued Facebook on March 16 in San Mateo County Court.

She began working for Facebook as a program manager in June 2010 and became a technology partner in October 2012. Throughout that time, she says, she was "discriminated against, harassed, and retaliated against" because of her sex and race, until she was fired on Oct. 17, 2013.

She claims co-defendant Anil Wilson ignored and belittled her during meetings, asked her "why she did not just stay at home" to take care of her child instead of working, and admonished her for taking off one day per month to volunteer at her child's school.

Hong says Wilson ordered her to organize parties and serve drinks to her male coworkers, though her male coworkers were never asked to do the same.

Facebook "engaged in a pattern and practice of harassment" and she filed sex and race harassment charges with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing within a year of the harassment, Hong says.

Eventually, Wilson and Facebook fired her based on her sex, race and national origin, which is Taiwanese, Hong claims.

She claims she was "retaliated against because she complained about the discrimination and harassment to which she was subjected."

She seeks lost wages and benefits, damages and punitive damages for gender and race discrimination, harassment, retaliation, discharge in violation of public policy and emotional distress.

She is represented by Barbara Lawless of San Francisco.

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