Uber hires ex-U.S. Attorney General
Holder to probe sexual harassment
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[February 21, 2017]
By Subrat Patnaik
(Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc has hired
former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to conduct a review of sexual
harassment claims at the ride-hailing service made by a former employee.
Holder and Tammy Albarran, who are partners at the law firm Covington &
Burling, will look into the complaints about a manager at Uber, as well
as general questions about diversity and inclusion, Chief Executive
Travis Kalanick told his employees in a memo on Monday that was seen by
Reuters.
Last year, Airbnb hired Holder, who served under former President Barack
Obama, to help craft a policy to combat discrimination occurring through
the online lodging service's platform. http://reut.rs/2m5Z9xZ
Arianna Huffington, who joined Uber's board last year, Liane Hornsey,
Uber's chief human resources officer, and Angela Padilla, the company's
associate general counsel, will also help conduct the review, Kalanick
said in the memo.
Huffington, Kalanick and Hornsey will meet on Tuesday, the memo said.
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Susan Fowler, the former Uber employee who complained of being the
target of sexual harassment by her manager, wrote in a blog post on
Sunday that when she reported the offense to human resources officials
and management, they declined to punish the alleged offender because he
"was a high performer" and that this was his first offense."
http://bit.ly/2kCE416
Fowler also said, after speaking with other female employees, she
realized that both HR and management had been lying about this being the
manager's "first offense."
In a statement sent to Reuters on Sunday, Kalanick called Fowler's
allegations "abhorrent and against everything Uber stands for and
believes in."
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![](../images/022117pics/news_h13.jpg)
Former Attorney General Eric Holder takes the stage during the
Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
July 26, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron
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Fowler's tale prompted a backlash, including calls for a revival of
the #DeleteUber movement. Some protesters urged a boycott of the
ride service over allegations it sought to profit from the chaos at
New York's John F. Kennedy Airport last month, after President
Donald Trump’s executive order barring entry to people from seven
Muslim majority countries.
Many women working in Silicon Valley, particularly in highly
technical roles, say they have experienced misogyny and harassment
in the male-dominated field. Technology companies are under mounting
pressure to make their workforces more diverse by hiring more women,
blacks and Latinos - but progress has been slow.
"There have been many questions about the gender diversity of Uber's
technology teams," Kalanick said. Uber will publish a broader
diversity report for the company in the coming months, he said.
"I believe in creating a workplace where a deep sense of justice
underpins everything we do," Kalanick said. "Every Uber employee
should be proud of the culture we have and what we will build
together over time."
(Reporting by Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Brown)
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