A former Yahoo employee is suing the company and one of its highest ranking female executives for wrongful termination and sexual harassment. Nan Shi is seeking punitive and monetary damages.
Shi says in the civil complaint that tech executive Maria Zhang, her immediate supervisor, used her seniority to pressure her into having sex numerous times against her will. Shi alleges that Zhang promised her a "bright future" at the large corporation if she agreed to engage in an intimate relationship with her, and threatened her with professional ruin if she did not.
Zhang was the founder of digital company Propeld, which Yahoo purchased in 2013. She has also reportedly worked for Zillow and Microsoft.
Shi accuses Zhang of giving her unfair, poor performance reviews when she began rejecting her overtures. Shi says that when she approached Yahoo's Human Resources department complaining of sexual harassment, company representatives refused to investigate her claims against her boss. Shi was then allegedly placed on unpaid administrative leave and eventually terminated.
Yahoo released a statement to CNN Money saying that Shi's accusations against Zhang are baseless, and that they intend to fight the lawsuit.
"Instead of dealing with the issue like they should have their immediate response is to deny, deny," lawyer Mathew Da Vega told the cable network. Da Vega is one of the attorneys representing Shi.
If you live in Missouri and believe that you have been unfairly let go from your job and/or subjected to sexual harassment at work, schedule a consultation with a reputable, experienced legal professional in Kansas City. The experienced wrongful termination lawyers at Meyers Law Firm can assess your claim and help you recover any damages to which you may be entitled.