Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by ProAm 2345 days ago
He did not get her to quit, she made that choice herself because she wanted to protect him. She made that choice. Yes he is a terrible person, yes possibly psycho and this story sucks but no one forced anything.

> so I quit Google, signing whatever documents they required because likewise, I wanted to protect him
2 comments
lanstin 2345 days ago
Is rape the only thing that companies should fire people for? A pattern of relationships like this is quite likely to be very bad for Google, both in terms of settlements and in terms of lost morale and acceptance of shitty behavior instead of working together on the great common project. The question isn't "forced" it's "why is firing the subordinate done instead of firing the habitual asshole when it's clearly in the companies interests to fire the habitual asshole." And the answer to that question makes it plausible that Google has been protecting bad people at the cost of their idealistic but achievable missions.

Also, she may have made that choice, but also he "got" her to quit - not sure if you've been in a relationship, but both things can be true. Someone can influence you to make a bad choice. The responsibility for that bad choice then exists in both people.

link
unapologetic 2345 days ago
> And the answer to that question makes it plausible that Google has been protecting bad people at the cost of their idealistic but achievable missions.

Which of googles missions is idealistic?

link
ProAm 2345 days ago
She wasnt fired. And she quit on her own volition.

I can't speak to a pattern of bad behavior because I just dont know more than this story and the one she posted about. He absolutely sounds like human garbage, but her story isn't a #metoo story. There was no abuse, no abuse of power, no forcing anything.

> so I quit Google, signing whatever documents they required because likewise, I wanted to protect him.

link
FireBeyond 2345 days ago
... because he had promised her financial support and if he also lost his job, that would go away.

And then he withdrew / refused support, that he'd agreed to, in writing.

Yes, it's not all black and white, but it's close to willfully obtuse to see a timeline of events and then fall back to a definition of "well, he didn't hold a gun to her head/use physical violence so it wasn't really a forced situation".

link
ProAm 2345 days ago
I agree he's a horrible person, but all those things have nothing to do with Google and his position at Google or her position at Google. Those were relationship decisions they made on their own. They both made horrible personal decisions, but it doesn't involve google.
link
unapologetic 2345 days ago
Except he was her boss at google, google forced her into a position she didn't want, and he encouraged her to quit under false pretenses.

This is a high level google executive engaging in grossly unprofessional behavior with one of his employees. It's abuse of both power and trust. As far as I'm concerned the judgement and behavior shown by him should make him completely untouchable.

link