When I was starting out in my career, I worked at an international firm headquartered in NYC.
There were six people in my specialty group. Three male partners and three female associates. I was the most junior.
The most senior associate was passed over for partner after disclosing she was pregnant with her second child. She had been with the firm for seven years. She silently had her baby, took her leave, and quit within months of returning to the office.
The mid-level associate was fired within two months of returning from maternity leave. The partners refused to staff her on deals so they could claim she had low billable hours. They knew she was the breadwinner for her family, so to avoid a wrongful termination lawsuit, they offered her three months severance and agreed not to disclose the termination to future employers in exchange for a waiver of claims.
Then I got pregnant.
By then, our group had shrunk to four people: three male partners and me as the only associate.
And right on schedule, when my chance for promotion came, I was passed over too.
Like the two women before me, I could not risk being blacklisted by suing. So I quietly left, found another job, and kept what happened to myself.
Workplace discrimination is real. It is devastating. And it happens far more often than people want to admit.
That is exactly why false accusations are so damaging.
When predatory people like
@BillAckman’s “Ronda” weaponize harassment claims for attention, leverage, or a payday, they make it even harder for women with legitimate experiences to speak up.
So Bill, on this one, I’m with you. Thank you for calling out this behavior for what it is.