VC Firm Settles Sickening Sexual Harassment Suit From Female Admins
CMEA Capital, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm, has settled a sexual harassment lawsuit filed in March, 2013 by three female executive administrative assistants. The complaint, which is embedded below, alleges "pervasive and severe" sexually and racially charged statements and actions made by former chief operating partner John Haag, including using "Shaniqua" as a derogatory nickname and telling one of the defendants that the other defendant was "fine" and that he would "suck her daddy's dick."
The alleged incidents do not fall into any kind of gray area. The claims depict Haag as an overgrown, entitled frat boy, consistently harassing these women with his foul, juvenile, literally-grab-anything-I-want behavior.
According to Fortune, which first reported the settlement filing, Haag appears to be part of the settlement. No terms were disclosed. I've reached out to the lawyer's representing the plaintiffs, CMEA, and Haag (a co-defendant in the case) and will update if I hear back.
The allegations are not limited to Haag. The complaint also says that management was aware of the problem—the firm's founder warned that Haag was a "predator"—and that the women faced retaliation from CMEA employees after they reported the alleged harassment.
Here are some of the most egregious examples:
Haag's alleged harassment was not limited to the plaintiffs. Seemingly any woman Haag encountered in a professional context was a potential target:
His "jokes" on race sound like he stole them from Roger Sterling:
According to Haag's
LinkedIn profile, he was with CMEA for six years before leaving in 2012 and now works as a "consultant and interim executive." CMEA makes venture capital investments in high-tech, life sciences, and alternative energy and has $1.2 billion under management.
If you have any information related to the lawsuit, please emailnitasha@gawker.com.
Sexual harassment complaint against CMEA Capital
