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A former Meta director has filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging sex discrimination and harassment. Kelly Stonelake, who worked in product marketing for Meta’s Reality Labs, filed the suit in Washington state.
Stonelake claims Meta fosters a “toxic pattern of silencing women who identify problems.” She alleges she faced retaliation for speaking out against what she calls “illegal activity and violations of public policy.” Meta declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Stonelake worked at the company, formerly known as Facebook, beginning in 2009. She was laid off in January 2024 after taking medical leave. The lawsuit details alleged sexual harassment, including an alleged assault by a former boss.
The suit also claims broader issues within Meta, specifically within the Horizon World team. Stonelake alleges female employees felt their concerns were undervalued and that unequal treatment was tolerated. She cites an example of a female colleague’s safety concerns about Horizon World being dismissed by an all-male leadership team.
This colleague reportedly advocated for a “quality pause” before expanding the virtual reality platform to teenagers, citing concerns about parental controls and product quality. After Stonelake escalated these concerns, she says she was excluded from leadership meetings.
Stonelake says she felt she was the only one advocating for change in a room full of men. She says she filed the suit to hold Meta accountable and to address what she sees as an industry-wide problem. She believes discrimination in tech stifles innovation and causes widespread harm.
Stonelake seeks lost wages, damages for emotional distress, and legal fees. She believes legal action is necessary to achieve accountability.
This lawsuit arrives amidst recent changes at Meta, including updates to content moderation and diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. These changes coincide with comments by CEO Mark Zuckerberg advocating for more “masculine energy” in corporate culture.