Meta’s Dark Side: A 15-Year Battle Against Harassment and Discrimination

Kelly Stonelake, one of Meta’s earliest employees, has filed a bombshell lawsuit against the tech giant, alleging sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and retaliation. Stonelake, who rose to the rank of director during her 15-year tenure, claims she endured a toxic cycle of abuse that began shortly after her hiring in 2009 and persisted until her layoff in January 2024. This lawsuit isn’t just about one woman’s fight—it’s a wake-up call for the entire tech industry.

“I decided to file the lawsuit when it became clear that was the best, if not the only, way to drive accountability at Meta.”

Kelly Stonelake

The Allegations: A Pattern of Abuse

Stonelake’s lawsuit paints a grim picture of Meta’s workplace culture. She alleges that:

• She was sexually assaulted by a colleague at a company event called “League,” where top executives like Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg were regular attendees.
• Her manager attempted to force himself on her during a business trip in 2011 and later told her she wouldn’t be promoted unless she slept with him.
• Meta failed to act on her reports of harassment, allowing her abusers to remain in power for years.
• She was repeatedly passed over for promotions in favor of male colleagues, despite her qualifications and contributions.

A Culture of Retaliation

Stonelake’s lawsuit also highlights Meta’s alleged retaliation against her for speaking out. In 2020, she confronted her manager about his Blue Lives Matter Facebook profile picture, which she felt was inappropriate given the company’s diverse workforce. His response? A racially charged rant that left her stunned. When she reported the incident to HR, she claims she was met with silence.

“Black boys start out innocent, and between then and when they get shot by police, they’re getting into gangs and getting into crime.”

Stonelake’s Manager, as Alleged in the Lawsuit

The Final Straw: Horizon Worlds and Systemic Failures

In 2022, Stonelake transferred to Meta’s Reality Labs to lead product marketing for Horizon Worlds, a virtual reality social network. But her excitement quickly turned to alarm. She raised concerns about the platform’s lack of safety measures for underage users and its failure to address rampant racist behavior. According to the lawsuit, it took an average of 34 seconds for users with Black avatars to be called racial slurs.

Instead of addressing these issues, Stonelake alleges she was excluded from leadership meetings and denied yet another promotion. By January 2023, she was on emergency medical leave for PTSD and suicidal thoughts. A year later, she was laid off as part of Meta’s mass workforce reduction.

Meta’s Rightward Shift: A Troubling Trend

This lawsuit comes at a time when Meta and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, appear to be shifting to the political right. Zuckerberg has:

• Sat behind President Trump at his inauguration.
• Added UFC boss Dana White—a Trump supporter—to Meta’s board.
• Hired public policy staff from right-leaning news outlets.
• Eliminated third-party fact-checking and scaled back diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Zuckerberg’s comments on Joe Rogan’s podcast about the need for “masculine energy” in the workplace further underscore the company’s troubling direction. As of 2023, 90% of Fortune 500 CEOs are men—a statistic that speaks volumes about the systemic barriers women like Stonelake face.

A Call for Accountability

Stonelake’s lawsuit isn’t just about seeking justice for herself—it’s about holding Meta accountable for its actions. “Meta has the opportunity to do harm on a scale that only tech companies can,” she told TechCrunch. Her story is a stark reminder that even the most innovative companies can harbor deeply rooted issues.

“My experience was that the more senior I got, so did my peers, and I noticed that the more senior men were, the less tolerance they had to be challenged.”

Kelly Stonelake

The Bigger Picture

Stonelake’s case is a microcosm of the challenges women face in the tech industry. From sexual harassment to systemic discrimination, her story highlights the urgent need for change. As Meta continues to shape the future of technology, it must also confront its past and present failures. The question is: Will it rise to the occasion, or will it continue to perpetuate the same toxic culture?