Ellen Pao drops high-profile Silicon Valley gender bias case, citing personal resources
The executive's lawsuit triggered an ongoing discussion about gender inequity at elite technology and venture capital firms
The woman who lost her high-profile gender discrimination lawsuit against a Silicon Valley venture capital firm said she was dropping her appeal and ending the case that became a flashpoint for inequality in the technology industry.
“This battle has been painful for me personally and professionally, and also for my family,” Pao said. “It is time to move on. I look forward to continuing the conversation about workplace equality and to building great companies in the technology industry.”
Pao’s decision to drop the lawsuit won’t weaken her impact on gender inequity in Silicon Valley, said Freada Kapor Klein, founder of the Level Playing Field Institute, which aims to increase diversity in the technology sector.
“(Ellen’s lawsuit) has completely reshaped the conversation about bias – both overt and subtle – in Silicon Valley,” she said.