Technology

Developer Leaves GitHub After Alleged Harassment

Last week, Julie Ann Horvath, an influential developer at GitHub, a code collaboration tool, left the company over allegations of prolonged harassment.

By Brian Feldman
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Last week, Julie Ann Horvath, an influential developer at GitHub, a code collaboration tool, left the company over allegations of prolonged harassment. The company says that it is looking into the matter.

In a lengthy interview with TechCrunch, Horvath described the company's culture as a "boys' club." Among the alleged incidents are harassment from another employee who began taking her code out of projects in response to turning him down, being spied on by an executive's wife, a culture of leering men who lined up to watch two women hula-hooping in the office.

Horvath announced her exit in a series of tweets last Friday.

In a blog post, the company's CEO, Chris Wanstrath, said that GitHub was looking into the matter. Two employees referenced in Horvath's claims have been put on leave. "We still have work to do. We know that," he wrote. "However, making sure GitHub employees are getting the right feedback and have a safe way to voice their concerns is a primary focus of the company."

Prominent investor Paul Graham, who is no stranger to allegations of institutionalized sexism in Silicon Valley, wrote circuitously on Sunday, "Most disputes have two sides. In employment disputes we usually only hear one."

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.