A former managing director at TikTok, Katie Ellen Puris, has filed a lawsuit against the company and its parent entity, ByteDance, alleging discrimination and retaliation for her termination. Puris claims she was fired for not conforming to gender stereotypes and for speaking out against the mistreatment she faced at the company and now fighting for discrimination and retaliation settlements.
Discrimination and Retaliation Settlements Highlighted in Ex-TikTok Executive’s Lawsuit (Photo from: Bloomberg.com)
Discrimination and Retaliation Settlements
Puris asserts that she faced discrimination and retaliation at TikTok due to her gender and age. Despite her successful performance, she alleges being targeted for lacking “docility and meekness” expected of female employees and for raising concerns about mistreatment and harassment.
In the lawsuit, Puris describes being sidelined from essential decisions and subjected to a hostile work environment.
She highlights instances of ageism, sexism, and the company’s failure to address her complaints of sexual harassment adequately.
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Alleged Corporate Culture and Consequences
According to Puris, TikTok’s corporate culture, influenced by ByteDance executives, perpetuated discriminatory practices and retaliation against dissenting voices. Lidong Zhang, the chairman of ByteDance, purportedly maintained a “kill list” targeting employees who did not fit his stereotypical views of gender roles and behavior.
Puris claims that her termination in September 2022 came shortly after she voiced concerns to the head of global human resources about the mistreatment of women, age discrimination, and the handling of her sexual harassment complaint leading to her fight for justice through discrimination and retaliation settlements.
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