Judge Allows Lawsuit Against Meta by Early Employee Kelly Stonelake to Proceed, Alleging Sexual Harassment and Discrimination

A federal judge has denied social media giant’s request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by an early employee, Kelly Stonelake. The case will proceed in court, following the ruling made by U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein this month.

Stonelake worked at the company from 2009 until her layoff in early 2024 and filed a lawsuit against the tech behemoth in Washington state earlier this year. She accused the company of sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and retaliation. The company subsequently moved the lawsuit to federal court and sought to dismiss it, arguing that Stonelake’s claims were legally insufficient.

In her complaint, Stonelake alleged that the company failed to act upon her reports of sexual assault and harassment; she was often overlooked for promotions in favor of male colleagues; and faced retaliation after raising concerns about a video game perceived as racist and harmful to minors. According to her statement, these conditions severely impacted her mental health and required medical treatment.

When asked in February why she decided to take legal action, Stonelake expressed her desire to promote accountability for what she claims is a pattern of abuse within the company. At the time, the company declined to comment due to pending litigation.

In its motion to dismiss, the company argued that Stonelake’s claims were not viable under Washington state law. However, Judge Rothstein has partially rejected this argument, stating that parts of Stonelake’s claims regarding retaliation, failure to promote, and sexual harassment were sufficient to survive. Other specific claims within the lawsuit have been dismissed. Stonelake was also denied her request to amend the filing should she choose to do so.

Both parties are now required to file a joint status report, due mid-September.

Stonelake’s allegations are not unique among the high-profile claims the company has faced recently. Shortly after Stonelake filed her suit, Sarah Wynn-Williams (former head of public policy for the company) released her memoir “Careless People,” in which she alleged sexual harassment by her superior and retaliation after reporting him. The company denied these allegations, and a judge ruled in their favor regarding Wynn-Williams’ marketing of the book due to potential breaches of a non-disclosure agreement.