Meta, formerly Facebook, is facing a lawsuit filed by Kelly Stonelake, one of its earliest employees, who claims to have experienced years of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and retaliation. Stonelake, who was employed by the tech giant for 15 years, alleges that these issues persisted from 2009 until her termination in January 2024.
The Lawsuit: Key Allegations Against Meta
In a lawsuit filed in King County Superior Court in Washington, Kelly Stonelake alleges a cycle of harassment and discrimination during her tenure at Meta. Stonelake began her career at the company in 2009 and worked her way up to the position of director. However, she claims that despite her growing role within the company, she was subjected to repeated instances of sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination, as well as retaliation for reporting these incidents and raising concerns.
Alleged Sexual Harassment at the Outset
According to Stonelake's suit, the harassment began almost immediately after she started working at Facebook. In the early days of her employment, during a company event called “League,” a male colleague allegedly grabbed her crotch without her consent. Stonelake recalled that her reaction was one of shock, but she was hesitant to report the incident to the company’s human resources team.
Stonelake’s reluctance to report was grounded in the belief that such complaints often went unaddressed, a sentiment that many women, particularly younger ones, have experienced in similar work environments. Stonelake would continue to endure harassment over the years, with another significant incident occurring in 2011 during a business trip, where her manager allegedly attempted to sexually assault her.
Retaliation for Reporting Harassment
Stonelake also claims she was retaliated against after she reported the harassment. In the suit, she details an instance in which a manager made unwanted sexual advances towards her and later suggested she would not receive a promotion unless she complied. When Stonelake refused, she was allegedly passed over for the promotion.
Despite her repeated reports to HR, Stonelake claims her abuser was allowed to remain employed at Meta for years without consequence, further perpetuating the toxic work environment she experienced.
Gender-Based Discrimination and Limited Career Advancement
Stonelake’s allegations extend beyond harassment. She claims she was repeatedly passed over for promotions in favor of male colleagues. These claims are supported by the assertion that when Stonelake confronted her manager about his "Blue Lives Matter" profile picture, which she believed undermined the company’s commitment to diversity, she was met with hostile and discriminatory comments.
Stonelake says she was passed over for promotion in favor of less qualified male colleagues, which she believes was a direct result of her challenging her manager’s views on race and diversity.
Concerns Over Product Safety and Alleged Racism
In 2022, Stonelake transferred to Meta’s Reality Labs to oversee the product marketing for Horizon Worlds, Meta's virtual reality platform. She was tasked with expanding the platform to international markets and targeting younger audiences. As a leader on the project, Stonelake raised serious concerns about Horizon Worlds' safety measures and the lack of moderation to prevent racism on the platform. In particular, she highlighted troubling reports that Black avatars in Horizon Worlds were regularly subjected to racial slurs.
Stonelake was allegedly excluded from weekly leadership meetings after raising these concerns. The lawsuit claims that the company’s leadership failed to take appropriate action and that Stonelake was ultimately denied a promotion in 2023. This alleged lack of action on both gender and racial issues illustrates a pattern of indifference towards employee concerns, particularly those voiced by women and minorities.
The Impact on Stonelake's Mental Health and Well-Being
By the time Stonelake was laid off in January 2024 as part of Meta’s mass layoffs, she had been on extended medical leave due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The lawsuit states that the ongoing harassment and discrimination Stonelake endured at Meta caused long-term emotional damage, resulting in her seeking medical treatment for suicidal thoughts and depression.
Despite the heavy toll on her mental and emotional health, Stonelake remained dedicated to Meta’s mission for over 15 years. She recalled the early days of Facebook with a sense of optimism and excitement, particularly when the company stood behind LGBTQ+ employees during Pride festivities and when Zuckerberg delivered a heartfelt speech about unity and inclusivity. However, Stonelake now believes these actions were largely performative, as the company failed to address the systemic issues of harassment and discrimination in its ranks.
Meta’s Response and Corporate Culture
Meta, which was founded by Mark Zuckerberg, has yet to comment on the lawsuit. The company issued a statement through spokesperson Tracy Clayton, who declined to comment due to the pending litigation. However, this lawsuit comes at a time when Meta, under Zuckerberg’s leadership, is undergoing significant changes that some have criticized as a move toward a more right-wing political stance.
Meta has faced increasing scrutiny for its stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), particularly after it eliminated third-party fact-checking and scaled back its DEI initiatives. Zuckerberg’s public statements, including comments about “masculine energy” in the workplace, have raised concerns about the company’s direction and commitment to fostering an inclusive environment.
A Pattern of Abuse and Lack of Accountability
Stonelake’s lawsuit paints a damning picture of a workplace culture at Meta that allowed abuse, harassment, and discrimination to persist for years without accountability. She hopes that by filing this lawsuit, she will bring attention to the culture of silence and inaction within the company, while also pushing for systemic changes to ensure that future employees are not subjected to similar mistreatment.
In an interview, Stonelake told TechCrunch that the decision to file the lawsuit was motivated by her desire to hold Meta accountable for its actions. She stated that Meta has the power to cause significant harm on a scale only achievable by major tech companies.
Will Meta Be Held Accountable?
As the lawsuit unfolds, Stonelake’s claims highlight larger issues within Meta regarding its treatment of women, particularly in the tech industry, which has long struggled with gender discrimination and harassment. If the case progresses, it could potentially result in significant changes to Meta’s corporate culture and lead to further legal scrutiny of the company’s practices in relation to harassment and discrimination.
Stonelake's decision to take legal action is a bold step towards accountability. Whether Meta will be forced to reckon with its culture of exclusion and neglect remains to be seen, but this lawsuit underscores the importance of addressing workplace harassment and ensuring that companies are held accountable for their actions, especially when those actions harm employees.
Meta’s Legacy: A Call for Change
For Stonelake, Meta was once a company where she felt she could make a difference. Today, her experience stands as a cautionary tale of the toxic culture that can develop within companies that fail to prioritize the well-being of their employees. The outcome of her lawsuit could have far-reaching implications for how tech companies handle issues of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, and could ultimately lead to a change in how businesses like Meta operate in the future.
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