[jjoonathan]

> the question was specifically probed of passing 50% women

Over what organizational unit? It makes a crucial difference: diversity within a team (more generally: a gerrymeandered division of the company) can fall at the same time as the total diversity across the encompassing company rises.

> You'll have to judge for yourself whether it's more likely that my roommate's dad made it up... or whether he noticed something ridiculous

3rd possibility: something seemed ridiculous because he didn't understand it.