Hello Zach. If I may provide my initial reaction up front: CEA failed to uphold the Worker Protection Act and enabled sexual harassment, as determined by an independent investigator, because you were too focused on following a standard HR process? That seems impossible. Riley initially shared the document with five people, and in the end it was shared with at least 11. That’s not a confidential HR complaint, it’s a circulated internal document.
Zach, I spent months working on the above post. But as you know, I also wrote several internal documents to a similar effect. At least two were shared with you. It’s depressing to see that CEA’s response has barely evolved. It contains more apologies now, often echoing my own empathetic language back to me, but it still fails to contain any meaningful information.
I appealed to the board, even after months of swallowing my disgust at what was occurring. I did this because I wanted CEA to finally be able to say something meaningful about what happened. I’ve been working in EA for six years now, I worked on EA Global for three years. I care deeply and I want things to get better. Right now, I’ve been offered what reads to me as: “We were singularly focused on Riley’s complaint, in a way that is relatable, even if it was a serious mistake.”
It isn’t relatable at all, not to me. You personally read a description of my rape without my consent and did absolutely nothing. For months, I continued working as though that didn’t make me deeply uncomfortable, nervous, confused, and embarrassed. You interacted with me like nothing had occurred. I did deserve better and I still deserve better than,“we were focussed on HR process in a mistaken way.” That’s not an answer to me. To me, it is completely illogical. I did sincerely appreciate the call with you in that, I believe you are regretful and I have absolutely no personal qualms with you outside of this situation. But in the context of your role as CEO, I am so deeply disappointed still.
I no longer expect answers to the questions I have posed internally. But for the record, I will restate them. Below is why I have failed to gain any confidence in CEA’s current leadership.
On the document:
“Sharing HR concerns does not require disclosing a colleague’s sexual assault.” Yes, of course. I’m very sad CEA could not arrive at this conclusion themselves. But further, it was more than that. He didn’t neutrally “disclose” it in a single, non-specific sentence. He wrote a description of me being raped. He describes it. He muses and speculates about my subsequent mental health crisis (which was unrelated to work; I went on three weeks of medical leave following the assault). Even the sanitized summary CEA drafted, with his “personal feelings” removed, was deeply disturbing to read. It was also multiple pages. I understand it was not the “focus” of the document, but it is much more than one line that states “Frances was raped”. To my understanding, the document itself is just extremely long and discusses multiple employees and community members at length. I cannot understand how that did not immediately result in me being notified and the matter being referred to legal for investigation.
[Edit: adding the following paragraph] You’ve also said it was unfortunate I had to be proactive. I’d like to point out that based on CEA’s formal processes, I would never have had the chance to report. I would never have known about the document. I only knew about it because one of the recipients went against leadership and informed me. You and the other recipients were the only people that could have done anything, and it is very likely to me that if she had not notified me about this document, it would still be in circulation today without my knowledge. On a human level, did any of you feel even a little worried after reading it? Or concerned/empathetic? Did anyone raise a flag? Anyone?
On the change in outcomes:
Why did the investigation outcomes change so drastically after the appeal? At first, Riley remained with the organisation, could continue working out of CEA’s Oxford office, and could attend all events, and we were given walking paths and designated meal times. After the appeal, I’m told that CEA “initiated a process” which led to his resignation, which I am interpreting as him being pushed out of the organisation. What substantively changed? To my knowledge, only two significant things differed: my stated intention to write publicly. Second, I had begun discussing the situation with a male, more senior, and respected member of the community who reached out to you directly to express deep concern. I don’t know of any other changes, though I’d like to if any exist. To my understanding, I will not be able to get clarity here.
Hello Zach. If I may provide my initial reaction up front: CEA failed to uphold the Worker Protection Act and enabled sexual harassment, as determined by an independent investigator, because you were too focused on following a standard HR process? That seems impossible. Riley initially shared the document with five people, and in the end it was shared with at least 11. That’s not a confidential HR complaint, it’s a circulated internal document.
Zach, I spent months working on the above post. But as you know, I also wrote several internal documents to a similar effect. At least two were shared with you. It’s depressing to see that CEA’s response has barely evolved. It contains more apologies now, often echoing my own empathetic language back to me, but it still fails to contain any meaningful information.
I appealed to the board, even after months of swallowing my disgust at what was occurring. I did this because I wanted CEA to finally be able to say something meaningful about what happened. I’ve been working in EA for six years now, I worked on EA Global for three years. I care deeply and I want things to get better. Right now, I’ve been offered what reads to me as: “We were singularly focused on Riley’s complaint, in a way that is relatable, even if it was a serious mistake.”
It isn’t relatable at all, not to me. You personally read a description of my rape without my consent and did absolutely nothing. For months, I continued working as though that didn’t make me deeply uncomfortable, nervous, confused, and embarrassed. You interacted with me like nothing had occurred. I did deserve better and I still deserve better than,“we were focussed on HR process in a mistaken way.” That’s not an answer to me. To me, it is completely illogical. I did sincerely appreciate the call with you in that, I believe you are regretful and I have absolutely no personal qualms with you outside of this situation. But in the context of your role as CEO, I am so deeply disappointed still.
I no longer expect answers to the questions I have posed internally. But for the record, I will restate them. Below is why I have failed to gain any confidence in CEA’s current leadership.
On the document:
“Sharing HR concerns does not require disclosing a colleague’s sexual assault.” Yes, of course. I’m very sad CEA could not arrive at this conclusion themselves. But further, it was more than that. He didn’t neutrally “disclose” it in a single, non-specific sentence. He wrote a description of me being raped. He describes it. He muses and speculates about my subsequent mental health crisis (which was unrelated to work; I went on three weeks of medical leave following the assault). Even the sanitized summary CEA drafted, with his “personal feelings” removed, was deeply disturbing to read. It was also multiple pages. I understand it was not the “focus” of the document, but it is much more than one line that states “Frances was raped”. To my understanding, the document itself is just extremely long and discusses multiple employees and community members at length. I cannot understand how that did not immediately result in me being notified and the matter being referred to legal for investigation.
[Edit: adding the following paragraph] You’ve also said it was unfortunate I had to be proactive. I’d like to point out that based on CEA’s formal processes, I would never have had the chance to report. I would never have known about the document. I only knew about it because one of the recipients went against leadership and informed me. You and the other recipients were the only people that could have done anything, and it is very likely to me that if she had not notified me about this document, it would still be in circulation today without my knowledge. On a human level, did any of you feel even a little worried after reading it? Or concerned/empathetic? Did anyone raise a flag? Anyone?
On the change in outcomes:
Why did the investigation outcomes change so drastically after the appeal? At first, Riley remained with the organisation, could continue working out of CEA’s Oxford office, and could attend all events, and we were given walking paths and designated meal times. After the appeal, I’m told that CEA “initiated a process” which led to his resignation, which I am interpreting as him being pushed out of the organisation. What substantively changed? To my knowledge, only two significant things differed: my stated intention to write publicly. Second, I had begun discussing the situation with a male, more senior, and respected member of the community who reached out to you directly to express deep concern. I don’t know of any other changes, though I’d like to if any exist. To my understanding, I will not be able to get clarity here.