Former Pinterest COO Files Gender Discrimination and Wrongful Termination Lawsuit

Francoise Brougher was Pinterest’s former COO, one of the highest-ranking executives in the company. Brougher recently filed suit claiming the company violated California labor law. 

Did Pinterest Violate California Labor Law?

When Pinterest’s former COO spoke up about gender discrimination at the company, she claims she faced workplace retaliation followed by wrongful termination.

Brougher’s History at the Company:

Brougher started work as Pinterest’s Chief Operating Officer in March 2018. After serving in a number of business leadership roles at respected companies like Google, Square, and Charles Schwab, she joined the company. When Brougher took the job as Pinterest COO, she was the highest-ranking female employee at the company. After some time at the company, she couldn’t ignore that she repeatedly encountered what she describes as “archetypal” gender discrimination by male co-workers.

Archetypal Gender Discrimination at Pinterest:

In one example of archetypal gender discrimination described in Brougher’s lawsuit, her boss advised her to “be mindful” of how she behaved in a group setting - specifically discouraging Brougher from “communicating directly.” Pinterest is a social media platform whose user base is predominantly female – 70% of Pinterest users are women, but three men run the company. Even as the highest-ranking woman in the company, Brougher was allegedly expected to comply and conform to typical gender stereotypes. After refusing to comply with discriminatory stereotypical expectations, Brougher was marginalized and excluded from important meetings and essential company decisions. When she eventually complained of degrading, sexist treatment, she was terminated. Brougher was advised that she was fired during an April 2020 video call. 

Responding to Complaints of Harassment in the Workplace:

Employment law protects California workers from discriminatory treatment and harassment in the workplace. However, when Brougher complained about the sexist, demeaning treatment, the company allegedly did not take the complaint seriously. She claims that instead of investigating the complaint properly and addressing gender discrimination and hostile workplace concerns, Pinterest fired Brougher to protect the male co-workers who were engaging in hostile behavior. Additionally, Brougher claims Pinterest attempted to cover up the complaints by claiming her firing was a voluntary departure. Brougher also claims she was paid less than her male counterparts, who also enjoyed more favorable vesting schedules.

If you need to discuss workplace retaliation or if you need to file a California wrongful termination lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in any one of various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.