An Employee Spoke Out on Glassdoor.com, and Now the EEOC Is Suing His Company
The case is the latest example of how companies and courts are grappling with protections for employees as technology platforms evolve.
May 26, 2017 at 09:47 AM
9 minute read
Not long after Adrian Scott Duane posted a comment on Glassdoor.com that said his company's managers “do not know what the word 'discrimination' means, nor do they think it matters,” the 32-year-old transgender worker's desk had been cleared and he was fired from a Silicon Valley-based education technology company.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Wednesday filed suit in California against IXL Learning Inc. on behalf of Duane claiming the company violated federal law and that the dismissal was retaliation for the comments Duane posted on Glassdoor, the job recruiting website.
“While the platforms for employees to speak out against discrimination are evolving with technology, the laws against retaliation remain constant,” said EEOC trial attorney Ami Sanghvi. “The main reason to litigate is to send a strong message that we will protect workers that engage in activities, not just through traditional avenues.”
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