Facts

In March 2018, plaintiff Francoise Brougher began working for defendant Pinterest, Inc. as its Chief Operating Officer. After she was terminated from her position in April 2020, plaintiff filed a complaint against defendant Pinterest, Inc. for discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act.

PLAINTIFF'S CONTENTIONS: Plaintiff contended that she was a high-performing individual who has helped take the company public. She claimed that male executives were rewarded for strong leadership styles but she was criticized for not being compliant or collaborative enough. She claimed she was offered less favorable backloaded stock vesting compared to her male peers, but that after she voiced her concerns about the disparate pay, it was adjusted. However, plaintiff contended that she was no longer invited to Board meetings, and her male peers began excluding her from Ads team meetings. Moreover, she alleged she was not invited to the IPO roadshow. Plaintiff alleged that defendant's Chief Financial Officer made demeaning and sexist comments to her, and when she complained about the discrimination to Human Resources and the Chief Executive Officer Ben Silbermann, her employment was terminated. Finally, plaintiff contended that defendant attempted to cover up plaintiff's termination by stating that it was a voluntary departure.

DEFENDANT'S CONTENTIONS: Defendant denied plaintiff's contentions.

Result

Defendant agreed to settle the case in the amount of $22.5 million. Plaintiff Brougher and her attorneys will receive $20 million of the settlement. Pinterest and Brougher will jointly donate the remaining $2.5 million to non-profit organizations to advance women and underrepresented minorities in the tech industry.