Pinterest’s former COO is suing for gender discrimination and retaliation

Pinterest’s former COO is suing the company for gender discrimination. Françoise Brougher says she was paid less than her male peers according to her legal complaint, was repeatedly omitted from important meetings and received gender-related feedback. She was fired after speaking out about these concerns, the lawsuit said.

Brougher, who previously worked as a Global Business Lead at Square and as VP in the advertising team at Google, heard about the salary inequalities as Pinterest prepared to go public in 2019, according to LinkedIn. She earned less than her male peers, and her equity was acquired at a lower rate. After bringing this to the attention of Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann, she still had to fight to get fair compensation. The news was first reported by The New York Times.

Brougher also says she was banned from board meetings after the IPO – a situation that may not have been uncommon, except that other members of her team were asked to attend. “If you are brought in as # 2, you are expected to advise the CEO,” she said New York Times in an interview. “But if you’re not in the meeting where the decisions are made and don’t have the context, your job becomes more difficult.”

The lawsuit also addresses alleged discrimination on the part of finance director Todd Morgenfeld. According to the complaint, Morgenfeld asked Brougher, “What is your job anyway?” in front of their colleagues in January 2020. Morgenfeld also gave Brougher a performance review that “demeaned Ms. Brougher’s many significant accomplishments as COO,” the lawsuit said.

When Brougher expressed her concerns about this treatment to Silbermann, he suggested that she approach the situation with curiosity, comparing the situation to “an old couple arguing about who would make coffee.” She was fired in April.

Brougher’s complaint follows criticism of the company from two black employees who spoke out on Twitter about assault. Ifeoma Ozoma and Aerica Shimizu sofas, who worked on Pinterest’s public policy team and helped lead some of the company’s acclaimed initiatives against health misinformation and racist content, says they were underpaid and subject to racist comments from their manager, according to The Washington Post. Both women also say retaliatory action was taken after coming forward about their assault.

The new lawsuit is the most controversial gender discrimination lawsuit in Silicon Valley since Ellen Pao sued investment firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in 2012. Brougher is represented by the same law firm that Pao represented: Rudy, Exelrod, Zieff & Lowe.

Pinterest did not immediately respond to a request for comment.