A choose has denied Meta’s request to dismiss a lawsuit introduced in opposition to it by early worker Kelly Stonelake.
U.S. District Decide Barbara Rothstein, who’s overseeing the case, dominated this month that components of Stonelake’s swimsuit had advantage, and the case will transfer ahead.
“I hope this ruling encourages others who’ve skilled discrimination and poisonous office cultures to think about the courts as one solution to push for justice and accountability,” Stonelake mentioned in a press release given to TechCrunch.
Stonelake, who labored at Meta from 2009 till being laid off in early 2024, filed a lawsuit in opposition to Meta in Washington state earlier this 12 months, alleging sexual harassment, intercourse discrimination, and retaliation. Meta moved the lawsuit to federal court docket and filed to dismiss Stonelake’s swimsuit, saying her claims have been legally inadequate.
Meta declined to touch upon the lawsuit or the choose’s resolution.
In her preliminary grievance, Stonelake alleges Meta didn’t take motion after she reported sexual assault and harassment; that she was usually handed over for promotion in favor of males; and that she confronted retaliation after flagging a online game she perceived as racist and dangerous to minors. She mentioned working for Meta below these alleged circumstances severely broken her psychological state and left her in medical therapy.
When requested in February why she determined to file her swimsuit, Stonelake mentioned she wished to drive accountability for what she alleges is a big sample of abuse at Meta.
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“Meta has the chance to do hurt on a scale that solely tech firms can,” she mentioned.
On the time, Meta declined to remark, citing pending litigation.
In its motion to dismiss, Meta mentioned Stonelake “fails to and can’t allege any viable claims in opposition to Meta,” and that her claims of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation fell exterior the statute of limitations of the Washington Legislation In opposition to Discrimination (WLAD).
A choose has partially rejected that argument.
In paperwork filed August 21, the choose said that components of Stonelake’s claims concerning retaliation, failure to advertise, and sexual harassment have been ample to outlive. The choose has dismissed different particular claims throughout the lawsuit that lined different allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful discharge. Stonelake was additionally denied her request to amend the submitting, ought to she select.
Stonelake and Meta will now file a joint standing report, which is due mid-September.
Stonelake’s claims are simply among the high-profile allegations Meta has confronted as of late.
Shortly after Stonelake filed this swimsuit, Sarah Wynn-Williams (who led public coverage for what was then known as Fb) launched her memoir “Carless Folks,” the place she alleged sexual harassment by her boss, in addition to retaliation after she reported him. Meta denied the allegations within the guide, and Wynn-Williams is presently barred from advertising and marketing it after a choose sided with Meta in that she had seemingly damaged her non-disclosure settlement in writing it.