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Comment by mwexler | Hacker News Reader

I suspect it's here because it ties into a) gender issues being a hot topic among developers over the last few weeks here at HN, as well as b) the fact that KP is a power player Silicon Valley and impacts the lives of many startups.

Perhaps not developer-oriented, but certainly in line with recent posts here on HN.

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Maybe. But I upvoted it instead because it reminds us that this happens to people. More precisely: it happens to people who are rich, and people who are poor. It happens to big people as well as small people.

Being harassed, and giving in briefly to the harassment in the hope that it will stop, does not necessarily make you weak, and does not stop you from seeking justice afterwards.

I don't presume to say whether it's true, just that the story has resonance for those reasons. I hope it reminds someone else in a bad situation to, y'know, break out, blow the whistle. I hope it reminds men who see it happening and who hear these complaints to act on them, to try to speak up against people making openly sexist comments.

Those were the main reasons I submitted it, with the other being about risks. Office romances have serious risks. No matter who was right or wrong, the initial coverage is going to be painful. The narrative is cookie cutter at this point, and let's face it, with just a filing and the need to push a story out, you really cannot expect anything else. If your business name generates page views then expect a couple of updates as journalists actually read the the full filing.

Sadly, you probably just shouldn't do it.

Learning from others' mistakes is very hackerly.

Indeed. I hope "brogrammers" take note.

Even if brogrammers existed, they wouldn't be reading legal briefs about sexual harassment cases in VC firms.

Sure they do. They just call themselves "Rubyists" or "rockstar ninjas" instead.

I would pay cash money to get people to stop using that term unironically.

You can be a "brogrammer" and be outraged at this all the same, you know… Your association of brogrammer == sexist is just as offensive and discriminatory as the attitude you accuse all brogrammers to have towards women.

I thought that sexist was part of the definition of the "brogrammer" term. It's at least exclusionary.

I am outraged at this.

No company should have to suffer employees doing stupid things like this.

If she wants to sue over his behavior, why not sue him?

Oh right, who has the most money?

If the company allowed the discrimination and harassment to occur even after several complaints, why shouldn't they be held liable?

I hope "brogrammers" exist.

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