Meta, the tech giant behind Facebook and Instagram, is facing a lawsuit from former employee Kelly Stonelake, who is accusing the company of fostering a toxic culture that silences women.
The lawsuit, filed on Feb. 3 in Washington state, claims that Meta retaliated against Stonelake after she raised concerns about discrimination, harassment, and product safety issues affecting vulnerable users.
Stonelake, who worked at Meta for 15 years, alleges she faced persistent discrimination and retaliation after speaking up about workplace injustices. "For 15 years, I was trusted to lead Meta's most strategic and exciting work," she stated.
However, she claims the work environment became hostile when she began addressing serious concerns, particularly regarding the company's virtual reality platform, Horizon.
According to the complaint, Stonelake was assigned to launch Horizon in 2022.
She quickly discovered troubling issues, including racial slurs directed at users with Black avatars and inadequate protection for children against harassment, People said.
When she reported these problems, she says she was dismissed and labeled a troublemaker. "The truth doesn't matter to Mark Zuckerberg, but it matters to me," she stated.
The lawsuit also alleges a history of unchecked harassment within the company.
Stonelake claims that in 2011, a manager sexually assaulted her during a business trip and later suggested she would only receive a promotion if she had sex with him. Despite reporting the incident, she says no action was taken.
🚨META SUED FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT & DISCRIMINATION
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 7, 2025
Kelly Stonelake, an early Meta employee, is suing the company, alleging years of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and retaliation.
She claims Meta ignored reports of assault, denied her promotions in favor of men, and… pic.twitter.com/aPfOGCIPpj
Lawsuit Claims Meta Retaliated Against Employee for Challenging Bias
Further retaliation allegedly occurred in 2020 when Stonelake questioned her boss's use of a "Blue Lives Matter" profile picture, fearing its impact on their diverse team. She claims this led to immediate hostility and blocked her from a promotion.
By 2023, she was allegedly denied another promotion because documenting her achievements would "expose failures by male leaders whose support she needed."
Feeling increasingly isolated, Stonelake took medical leave in early 2023 due to severe depression. She was later laid off in September while still on leave.
Stonelake's attorney, Cindy Heidelberg, condemned Meta's actions, stating, "Kelly Stonelake's experience is not an anomaly—it is an example of how Meta treats women who stand up for integrity and compliance."
Meta has declined to comment on the lawsuit due to ongoing litigation.
According to Fortune, the lawsuit follows recent remarks by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who suggested in a podcast interview that corporate America has embraced too much "feminine energy" and needs more "masculine energy."
Stonelake criticized these statements, calling them "irresponsible and reckless." She warned that promoting a more masculine workplace culture could further harm women and vulnerable communities.
Meta has also faced scrutiny for scaling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Additionally, the company revised its content policies, allowing users to describe LGBTQ identities as "mental illness."
Critics argue these changes reflect a broader shift in Meta's approach to workplace culture and content moderation.
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