Image sharing and social media company Pinterest has agreed to pay $22.5 million to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit filed against it by its former chief operating officer Francoise Brougher.
The company said Tuesday that $2.5 million from the settlement will be used by the company to "advance women and underrepresented communities in the tech industry." Pinterest clarified that the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or liability.
"Francoise welcomes the meaningful steps Pinterest has taken to improve its workplace environment and is encouraged that Pinterest is committed to building a culture that allows all employees to feel included and supported," the company said in a statement.
The settlement will put an end to one of the most high-profile gender discrimination case filed against a tech company in recent years. Brougher filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the company in August. In her suit, Brougher claimed that she was only removed from her position when she complained about gender bias in the workplace.
During one of the hearings, Brougher said that males within the company were unjustly rewarded for their "strong leadership styles," while she was criticized for the same actions. Brougher also claimed that she was offered a less favorable compensation structure compared to her male peers during her time with the company.
Brougher told the court that she was fired from the company over a video call with Pinterest's chief executive officer, Ben Silbermann. She said that she was fired after she lodged a complaint with Silbermann and the head of human resources over how she was being treated.
Brougher further alleged that the company's chief financial officer, Todd Morgenfeld, had made "demeaning sexist comments" toward her. Both Silbermann and Morgenfeld declined to comment on the settlement.
In a court filing in September, Pinterest denied all of Bougher's accusations. The company said during that time that it has gone to great lengths to ensure that all of its employees felt supported and included.
Following the settlement, Brougher said in a tweet that she will continue to advocate for women's rights and workplace equity.
