Cyber Week Sale! 50% Off All Access

Tech Startup Co-Founder Suspended After Allegations of Harassment Employee takes to Twitter to announce resignation and air her grievances with her company's leadership team.

By Jason Fell

The leadership team at San Francisco-based GitHub, a social network for software engineers, has suspended one of its co-founders amid allegations of harassment at the 6-year-old startup.

On Sunday, GitHub co-founder and chief executive Chris Wanstrath wrote on the company's blog that the GitHub is investigating claims made by former designer Julie Horvath that she was harassed by members of the leadership team, including a co-founder and his wife.

Although she didn't offer many details, Horvath took to Twitter late last week to make public her allegations of harassment. Here's a sampling:

In a subsequent interview with TechCrunch, Horvath likened GitHub to a "boy's club" and said that she felt that she had been treated differently because she is a woman. She also talked about at least one "very inappropriate" conversation with the wife of one of the founders.

Related: Richard Branson on Why Diversity Is an Advantage

In addition to Wanstrath, GitHub was founded in 2008 by PJ Hyett and Tom Preston-Werner. Horvath hasn't said publicly which of the founders she is alleging is responsible for the harassment.

"While [the investigation is] ongoing, and effective immediately, the relevant founder has been put on leave, as has the referenced GitHub engineer. The founder's wife discussed in the media reports has never had hiring or firing power at GitHub and will no longer be permitted in the office."

Since its founding, GitHub has grown to more than 200 employees and has raised $100 million from firms such as Andreessen Horowitz and SV Angel.

"I would like to personally apologize to Julie," Wanstrath wrote in the post. "It's certain that there were things we could have done differently. We wish Julie well in her future endeavors."

Related: Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg: Eliminate Bias That Women 'Aren't Meant to Lead'

Jason Fell

Entrepreneur Staff

VP, Native Content

Jason Fell is the VP of Native Content, managing the Entrepreneur Partner Studio, which creates dynamic and compelling content for our partners. He previously served as Entrepreneur.com's managing editor and as the technology editor prior to that.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

'I Just Hustled': She Earned More Than $300,000 Wrapping Gifts Last Year — and It All Started With a Side Hustle

When Michelle Hensley lost her husband to cancer, she needed to figure out how to earn an income for her family.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

Google CEO Sundar Pichai Says 'You'll Be Surprised' By How Google Search Changes Next Year

AI has already changed the look of search, but Google's CEO says there are more changes to come.

Growing a Business

This Breakthrough Technology is Poised to Accelerate Your Company's Growth

Discover a breakthrough technology stacked on top of generative AI, now poised to revolutionize businesses across nearly every sector. Unlock unprecedented growth and profitability potential, achieving levels once thought unattainable.

Leadership

How to Master the Art of Delegation — Lessons From Andrew Carnegie's Legacy

Here's what Andrew Carnegie can teach today's entrepreneurs about leadership, teamwork and effective delegation.