Ex-startup exec accuses bosses of sexual harassment

A former executive at Tinder, the popular dating app, alleges in a lawsuit that two male superiors sexually harassed her, then demoted her because of her gender.

Whitney Wolfe, 24, filed the sexual harassment and sex discrimination suit against Sean Rad and Justin Mateen, both 28, in Los Angeles County Superior Court this week. Rad and Mateen were among several people involved in launching Tinder, an LA startup.

Tinder lets users rate photos of potential mates, and when two people greenlight each other, they can communicate through the app.

The lawsuit comes at a time when the tech industry has been accused of often being hostile to women. In the suit, attorneys for Wolfe said that Rad, the chief executive, and Mateen, the chief marketing officer, allowed Wolfe to label herself as co-founder when it appeared beneficial, including when she appeared in female-focused media reports.

In other cases, Rad and Mateen left Wolfe off their co-founders’ list. According to Wolfe’s lawsuit, Mateen explained that naming her as a young, female cofounder of a company otherwise built by men “devalues” the firm and makes it seem like a “joke.”

Wolfe and Mateen dated for a time, according to the

“We … believe that Ms. Wolfe’s allegations with respect to Tinder and its management are unfounded.”

suit. As that relationship soured, she alleges, Mateen barraged her with “sexist, racist and otherwise inappropriate” comments.

Her frustration reached a breaking point at a company party in April, the suit says. There, Mateen, in Rad’s presence, called Wolfe a “whore” and “a gold digger,” according to the suit.

Rad ignored Wolfe’s pleas for help, according to the lawsuit. After leaving, she raised concerns to Sam Yagan, CEO of Match.com, whose parent, IAC, holds a majority stake in Tinder. Yagan also dismissed her allegations, Wolfe says.

IAC, named as a defendant, said that Mateen has been suspended.

“We unequivocally condemn these messages, but believe that Ms. Wolfe’s allegations with respect to Tinder and its management are unfounded,” IAC said.