Ex-employees of Pinterest, Wells Fargo file gender discrimination suits

Former employees at Pinterest and Wells Fargo have filed gender discrimination lawsuits alleging the companies' public proclamations about being committed to diversity aren't reflected in the workplace.

Former Pinterest Chief Operating Officer Francoise Brougher filed a complaint against the company Monday in San Francisco Superior Court. The complaint alleged the company fired Brougher in April after she spoke to Pinterest's human resources department and Chief Executive Officer Ben Silbermann about sexist comments she received from the company's chief financial officer.

Brougher, a former executive at Charles Schwab, Google, and Square, further alleged she was criticized for not being compliant enough, and was not offered compensation equal to that received by her male colleagues.

Raena Krestovnikov, a former home mortgage consultant with Wells Fargo, filed her action Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging the company terminated her employment after she complained she was not receiving benefits available to male employees, and sought a consultation with an attorney.

Wells Fargo "publicly boasts of its commitment to 'diversity,'" Krestovnikov's lawsuit read. "Yet internally, the company vengefully fires employees who complain about gender discrimination and who exercise their right to consult an attorney."

"Although Pinterest publicly laments the lack of diversity in its leadership, in practice, it turns a blind eye to the biased thinking that limit women's opportunities for success in leadership roles," according to Brougher's complaint.

Krestovnikov is represented by attorneys at Helmer Friedman LLP. Brougher's counsel is at Rudy, Exelrod, Zieff & Lowe LLP. Representatives from Wells Fargo and Pinterest could not be reached for comment.

-- Jessica Mach