Court Denies Meta’s Motion to Dismiss Ex-Employee’s Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

A judge has dismissed Meta’s attempt to void a lawsuit brought by former employee Kelly Stonelake.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein, who is managing the case, concluded this month that multiple elements of Stonelake’s lawsuit are valid, permitting it to move forward.

“I hope this decision inspires others who have experienced discrimination and toxic work environments to view the courts as a means to seek justice and accountability,” Stonelake commented to TechCrunch.

Stonelake, who worked at Meta from 2009 until her layoff in early 2024, filed a lawsuit against Meta in Washington state earlier this year, alleging sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and retaliation. Meta attempted to move the case to federal court and sought its dismissal, claiming Stonelake’s allegations lacked legal standing.

Meta chose not to provide a comment regarding the lawsuit or the judge’s ruling.

In her initial complaint, Stonelake claims that Meta failed to act adequately after she reported instances of sexual assault and harassment, that she was frequently passed over for promotions in favor of male coworkers, and that she experienced retaliation for reporting a video game she believed was racist and harmful to minors. She stated that these alleged experiences severely affected her mental health, requiring medical treatment.

When questioned in February about the motivation behind her lawsuit, Stonelake expressed her wish to ensure accountability for what she perceives as a widespread issue of abuse at Meta.

“Meta has the ability to cause damage on a scale that few tech giants can,” she noted.

At that time, Meta declined to comment due to the ongoing legal proceedings.

In its request for dismissal, Meta contended that Stonelake “fails to and cannot present any actionable claims against Meta,” maintaining that her accusations of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation fall outside the statute of limitations dictated by the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD).

A judge has partially dismissed this argument.

In documents filed on August 21, the judge stated that certain elements of Stonelake’s claims, especially those related to retaliation, promotion issues, and sexual harassment, were sufficient to continue. However, other particular allegations concerning sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination were dismissed. Stonelake’s request to revise her complaint was also denied.

Stonelake and Meta are expected to provide a joint status report by mid-September.

Stonelake’s allegations form part of a broader series of significant claims made against Meta recently.

Following Stonelake’s lawsuit, Sarah Wynn-Williams (a former leader in public policy at Facebook) released her memoir “Carless People,” detailing sexual harassment by a superior and retaliation after revealing the matter. Meta denied the claims made in the memoir, and Wynn-Williams is currently prohibited from promoting it following a judge’s ruling in Meta’s favor, suggesting she likely breached her non-disclosure agreement by publishing it.