Former Tinder exec. Whitney Wolfe is suing the company behind the popular dating app.
According to TheWall Street Journal, the claim says Wolfe was in a brief relationship with Justin Mateen, the company's chief marketing officer. When the relationship went sour, so did her work environment.
In her lawsuit, Wolfe claims she was repeatedly called a "whore" by Mateen, even in front of the company's CEO. Wolfe says she was subjected to sexist and racist comments via email and text message and forced out of the company.
"She was allegedly told that she was stripped of her title because having a 24-year-old girl as a co-founder made the company 'seem like a joke.'"
Mateen has since been suspended. USA Today reports Tinder's parent companies, IAC and Match.com, are also involved in the suit. (Via Tinder)
"IAC said in an emailed statement. ' ... it has become clear that Mr. Mateen sent private messages to Ms. Wolfe containing inappropriate content. We unequivocally condemn these messages, but believe that Ms. Wolfe's allegations with respect to Tinder and its management are unfounded.'"
USA Today also points out how the tech industry has come under fire for "its lack of women in technical and executive ranks and for not creating a work environment that is more welcoming to women."
For example, a former GitHub designer, highlighted by Business Insider in April, claimed she was both verbally and sexually harassed.
And in late May, the Los Angeles Times reported on "mortified" Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, whose leaked emails from college objectified women.
As for Wolfe's lawsuit, it also points a finger at Tinder's CEO Sean Rad, saying he ignored her complaints and also threatened her job. Rad has yet to comment on those allegations.
