Ellen Pao Loses Big Silicon Valley Sex-Bias Case to Kleiner Perkins
Published at(LOS ANGELES) — A preeminent venture capital firm was mostly victorious in Silicon Valley’s biggest sex discrimination suit.
A jury has ruled in favor of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in the case. At the center of the lawsuit and court case is Ellen Pao, 45, the interim CEO of Reddit and former partner at Kleiner Perkins. She filed her complaint in May 2012 against the prominent venture capital firm, which is based in Menlo Park, California, near the headquarters of Facebook, one of the many tech firms in which it has invested.
The jury decided in favor of Kleiner on three questions: the firm didn’t fail to promote Pao because she’s a woman, that it did take reasonable steps to help her and that it did try to prevent discrimination, if any. The judge ruled that the jury should continue deliberations on the fourth question, because only eight out of 12 decided the company didn’t retaliate against her for complaining. The decision must be reached by nine jurors.
Pao’s attorney Therese Lawless had urged the jury to make a decision that would send a message to the venture capital industry.
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