A former Bay Area tech CEO was fired earlier this year after allegedly enslaving, torturing, and sexually abusing his assistant. He claims the pair had a consensual relationship that people would “celebrate” if it were fictitious.

Former Tradeshift CEO Christian Lanng denied the allegations levied against him and the billion-dollar company he co-founded that were made by a former employee in court Thursday.

"The shocking and vile claims in the lawsuit are categorically false, and I reject allegations that I subjected someone to any form of abuse during my tenure as CEO or at any other time of my life,” Lanng told The Messenger.

In the complaint, an unidentified woman alleged that Lanng sent her into “a dark abyss of unwanted sexual horror," according to The Mercury News.

  • kingthrillgore
    link
    fedilink
    3011 months ago

    I never thought of it that way. I always thought of it as “don’t shit where you eat” because I ain’t at work to make friends. I’m here to get shit done.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      2811 months ago

      It’s both, really. After some misadventures in my youth, I have refused to engage romantically with anyone in an organization I’m employed by. “Don’t shit where you eat.” As I have moved up to supervise others, it goes doubly so for people within my chain of command. That would be highly unethical.

      Essentially, one is practical advice and the other is a matter of ethics. If you follow the first, the ethics are easy.

    • @ickplant
      link
      911 months ago

      You never had to sit through a sexual harassment training where they explain quid pro quo?

      • kingthrillgore
        link
        fedilink
        2
        edit-2
        11 months ago

        Numerous times, and I may have even paid attention once or twice. I generally don’t do anything involving harassment because its wrong and immoral, because having relations with coworkers is not what I consider morally acceptable due to the risks to anyone involved in such an affair and in general, against my own moral judgement.

        And I have SEEN harassment in the workplace.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      611 months ago

      I think it’s healthy to have clear boundaries with coworkers, they are not the same things as friends.

      That said I spend 41 hours a week working, no way I’m not going to socialise with my coworkers. If I don’t make any friends after several years of working at a place I feel I have done something wrong.