1/ I woke up thinking about #TimnitGebru and how #google and @JeffDean used the flimsiest of HR bullshit to fire her. And let's be clear, she was fired. How do I know this, because I have been on both sides of that situation. Here's how it's done #ISupportTimnit
2/ Say you have an employee that the company has deemed as problematic. In this case it's the person who speaks up at all hands calling out executives or post internally about racism/issues that highlight unequal treatment of #BIPOC #ISupportTimnit
3/ This employee is extremely good at their job. Thwarting any attempt to 'performance manage' them out of the organization. Some high ranking people undermine the employee with senior leadership including HR. HR gives guidance to leadership that is basically 'look for a reason'
4/ It is very unlikely someone can survive that environment once they are targeted. The conditions of most employment are vague enough that every employee trips over them at some point. However once you are marked as a problem it's only a matter of time #ISupportTimnit
5/ So by 'accepting' her resignation (that was never offered) they implicitly acknowledge they were looking for a reason to fire her. This is a tried and true method that I have witnessed many times in my career. #ISupportTimnit
6/ The @JeffDean email outlining they accepted her resignation is his explicit acknowledgement of playing a role in this. Because the company does not have to accept the resignation. They 'accepted' it because it gives them the excuse they had been looking for #ISupportTimnit
7/ He took part in silencing a woman of color and then turns around and says he understands the frustration of the slow progress in DEI. Progress he could speed up given privilege and position role in the org. This level of #gaslighting is epic even for #BigTech #ISupportTimnit
8/ I left #google because of the lack of progress on taking the experiences of #BIPOC seriously and fixing processes/behavior that were damaging to me and the community I care about. It still seems to be the case and extracts a heavy toll on all #BIPOC at google. #ISupportTimnit
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