The judge denied Mehta’s request to dismiss the case brought on by early employee Kelly Stonelake.
US District Judge Barbara Rothstein, who oversees the case, ruled that some of the Stonellake cases were merit and that the lawsuit would move forward this month.
“We hope that this ruling encourages others who have experienced discrimination and toxic workplace cultures to consider the courts as one way to promote justice and accountability,” Stonelake said in a statement given to TechCrunch.
Stonelake, who worked for Meta from 2009 until his firing in early 2024, filed a lawsuit against Meta in Washington earlier this year, alleging sexual harassment, sexism and retaliation. Meh moved the case to federal court and filed it to dismiss Stone Lake’s case, saying that her claims were legally inadequate.
Mehta declined to comment on the case or the judge’s decision.
In her initial complaints, Stone Lake claims that Meta did not take action after reporting sexual assault and harassment. That she was often given to men for promotions. And that she was racist and faced retaliation after flagging video games she perceived as harmful to minors. She said working in Meta under these suspected conditions seriously damaged her mental state and left her in treatment.
When asked in February why she decided to file a lawsuit, Stone Lake said she wanted to promote accountability for what she claims is a major pattern of abuse in the meta.
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“Meta has the opportunity to do harm on a scale that only high-tech companies can do,” she said.
At the time, Mehta declined to comment, citing the pending lawsuit.
In her motion to dismiss, Mehta stated that Stonelake “could not and could not assert any viable claims against Mehta, and that her claims on claims, discrimination and retaliation have fallen outside the scope of the Washington Law’s Restrictions on Discrimination (WLAD).
The judge partially rejected the argument.
In a document filed on August 21, the judge said some of Stonelake’s claims regarding retaliation, failure to advance and sexual harassment were sufficient to survive. The judge dismissed other specific claims in a lawsuit covering other claims of sexual harassment, retaliation and illegal discharge. Stonelake was also denied her request to amend the submission if she chose.
Stonelake and Meta will submit a joint status report scheduled for mid-September.
Stonelake’s claims are just a few of the high-profile claims that Meta has been facing recently.
Shortly after Stonelake filed the lawsuit, Sarah Wynn-Williams (who led public policy at the time, what was called Facebook) released her memoir, “The Careless People,” where she argued for sexual harassment by her boss and retaliation after reporting. Meta denied the book’s allegations and Wynn Williams is now prohibited from marketing after he sided with Meta in that the judge likely violated the private agreement in writing.
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