back to article Virtual reality upstart UploadVR allegedly had in-house 'kink room,' drugs, rampant sexism

A female former employee suing UploadVR for discrimination and sexual harassment has filed documents containing lurid goings-on at the virtual reality cheerleader. The lawsuit [PDF], filed last week in the San Francisco Superior Court, was brought by its former director of digital and social media. She claims the company had a …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Sounds like a fun place to work !

    See title... and icon...

  2. Alistair
    Joke

    They were having issues

    *cough*

    separating their work and reality.

  3. Chairman of the Bored

    FWIW I once asked the commander of an all female military transport crew if the working environment is different than a typical USAF crew. What is was told is, "Not really. Just instead of calling it a cockpit its now the 'box office'.

    So now you know.

  4. deadlockvictim

    Cultural-Marxist/corporate/globalist "equality" wage-slavery/depopulation propaganda

    One of the previous ACs complained about «Cultural-Marxist/corporate/globalist "equality" wage-slavery/depopulation propaganda».

    This sounds like interesting reading.

    Can you recommend any works that incorporate all (or even most) of the above philosophies together?

    1. Pompous Git Silver badge

      Re: Cultural-Marxist/corporate/globalist "equality" wage-slavery/depopulation propaganda

      "One of the previous ACs complained about «Cultural-Marxist/corporate/globalist "equality" wage-slavery/depopulation propaganda».

      This sounds like interesting reading.

      Can you recommend any works that incorporate all (or even most) of the above philosophies together?"

      Sounds like Derrida, Foucault or another post-modernist philosopher. I can't say I'd recommend reading their "work". As the aphorism goes: The only thing worse than Derrida out of context is Derrida in context.

  5. Bernard M. Orwell

    The law?

    There are a lot of complaints embedded in the plaintiffs statement, according to the article, but how many of them are actually grounded in law? I accept that some of the things in the article are clearly illegal, drug use, exploitative pay processes, gender based harrasement etc. but there are some things in there that surely aren't illegal? On what grounds are the following complaints made?

    "set the firm up as a "boys club" and would spend time during the day discussing their sexual exploits." - Pretty sure that, whilst possibly distasteful to some, its not illegal to talk this way?

    "alleged to have told the plaintiff that she wasn't his type sexually " - I'm pretty sure we should be allowed to say this to people. Especially if unwanted advances are made, regardless of gender.

    "employee would boast about having slept with over 1,000 women and never wearing condoms" - Well, that employee is crass and not someone I'd want to hold a conversation with, but is this actually against the law to say?

    "sent out emails looking for submissive female partners known as "Samurai girls," it is claimed." - Illegal? I've no idea...

    "Another executive circulated details of a sexually transmitted disease he picked up on a trip to the Far East" - Everyone consider themselves warned, stay away from this moron! But has he broken an actual law?

    IANAL, but it looks to me like there's some legitimate grounds for complaint and action here, but excess emotional baggage has been tacked on for good measure. Problem is that if that baggage becomes part of the ruling we get into a reduction of the right to hold a conversation without thinking over every word we say.

    I'm not defending anyone here, not criticizing anyone, but perhaps the complaint should be focused on matters of civil and criminal law?

    1. PapaD

      Re: The law?

      It's possible that all of these examples will be used to illustrate that the company fostered a hostile/toxic work environment that would be considered distasteful by any woman working there.

    2. tedleaf

      Re: The law?

      I'm sure their backers or share holders might have something to day if they had been told this was a firm with ideas for .making money from vr/ar but found that it was set up as a boys club with little chance of success due to attitude of those at top of firm.

      It's called fraud..

      1. katgod

        Re: The law?

        It does make one wonder how much real work is being done. Glad it is not my money funding it.

    3. Adam 52 Silver badge

      Re: The law?

      Every other post that attempted to examine the veracity of the comments has been deleted by the mods, presumably because El Reg is concerned about republishing libellous allegations. I expect yours to go soon!

  6. sabba

    If Beavis and Butthead moved into IT...

    ...this sounds like the kind of company they would run.

    What the hell is happening to our industry? Is this what happens when you give self-indulgent boy-men shed-loads of cash and leave them to their own devices?

    I am not what might be called PC, and sometimes I think that people are becoming overly sensitive. This place, however, sounds like a particularly corrosive environment.

    1. Michael Strorm Silver badge

      Re: If Beavis and Butthead moved into IT...

      "...this sounds like the kind of company they would run."

      When asked to comment on the case, UploadVR's legal representative responded "Are you threatening me?" before announcing that his name was Cornholio and making some confused utterances in a mock-Spanish accent.

    2. spacecadet66

      Re: If Beavis and Butthead moved into IT...

      "What the hell is happening to our industry? Is this what happens when you give self-indulgent boy-men shed-loads of cash and leave them to their own devices?"

      Yes.

      Sorry, was that a rhetorical question?

    3. 404

      Re: If Beavis and Butthead moved into IT...

      This isn't new - ran into this in the late 90's and should have it's own dank meme by now... Seems to be related to the 'Mom's Basement' mentality when someone or some few basement trolls make good and use the gobs of cash they've received to live out their idea of CEO-level corporate life. They tend to implode over the years though. Like these guys.

  7. This post has been deleted by its author

  8. Andy 73 Silver badge

    Social skills..

    It says a lot about this industry that an article describing what appears to be a severely dysfunctional company is followed by long discussions about whether or not that constitutes socially unacceptable behaviour.

    Hint: totally unacceptable.

    It doesn't matter if you once heard a woman say a rude word, or the girl you fancied told you to get lost - nothing makes being an asshat acceptable. That applies just as much to women as to men.

    1. deathchurch

      Re: Social skills..

      You're wrong on every level...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Social skills..

        You're wrong on every level...

        And Exceptionally Insightful Rebuttal of the Year prize goes to "deathchurch"! Congratulations!

    2. Adam 52 Silver badge

      Re: Social skills..

      Hint for those lacking in critical thinking skills. If a story appears completely one-sided and describes an extremely implausible situation then the chances are that it is inaccurate.

  9. dan1980

    This post has been deleted by a moderator

    Is there are a new sheriff in town?

    Okay, yeah, there was some intolerant stuff but why remove that wonderful alt-right, arm-chair philosopher bingo board? (The one with Marxist rabbits and so forth.)

    I figured someone was just using amanfrommars' world-famous Word Salad recipe.

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