Joe Nocera, Columnist

Sexual Harassment Is Backfiring in Silicon Valley, Finally

Women are speaking out because they no longer fear retaliation, and bad behavior is having consequences.

Where things have changed.

Source: Hulton Archive
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Two and a half years ago, before sexual harassment started backfiring against Silicon Valley venture capitalists, a woman named Trae Vassallo testified in a gender discrimination case that had been brought against the storied firm of Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers.

The plaintiff in the trial, Ellen Pao, a former Kleiner partner, had had an affair with another Kleiner partner, Ajit Nazre; one of her claims was that he had retaliated against her after it ended.1499271736783 Vasallo, who left Kleiner in 2011, had also found herself on the receiving end of Nazre's sexual advances during her time at the firm, according to her testimony.