Everyone is entitled to their own values and opinions. When their opinions get them fired, something must be done. Workers at the Philadelphia clothing company, Feminist Apparel, expressed their views about gender and consent. The founder of the company fired almost the entire staff after he was confronted about his history of sexual abuse. The apparel and greeting cards that were sold were supposed to be tools for promoting feminism. After finding this out and further investigating, the staff asked the CEO to resign.
Social Media Reveals History
The Philadelphia CEO admitted on Facebook that he has been guilty of sexual harassment in the past. This post was used to promote his company. He stated that he was starting his company to fix rape culture. Items sold helped support an independent artist and part of the proceeds were to go to a partnering organization. After seeing this post, the workers of the company felt misled as they were unaware of this. One worker thought she had found her dream job working for a company that was supporting her values. She was shocked to find that the company she was working for was run by a CEO who did not support those values. After being confronted, the CEO of the company stepped down but remained part of the company. Just days later, he fired half his staff.
CEO Defends His Decision
The CEO of the Philadelphia company defended his decision on the company’s blog. He stated that after he was made aware that the staff did not support his views on business and feminism, he made the difficult decision to fire them in accordance with state laws and the employee handbook. This is not the first time the company has been in the hot seat. In the past, a group of women accused the company of stealing slogans and using them in a way that did not support the company’s said values.
Fired Workers are Angry
Workers were told that the CEO came up with the idea for Feminist Apparel in college while working on a documentary about sexual assault. Workers were hired under the guise of it being an ethical and feminist place. It was very difficult to hear how the owner was taking money from abuse victims. These workers are a group of people dedicated to social justice and activism. After hearing about the CEO, they felt it was their duty to act. Little did they know that the action taken would cost them their jobs. After the CEO stepped down from his position, he posted on the company’s blog stating his regret for his past behaviors. He also said that he was upset that his former employees did not share his views.
Philadelphia Sexual Harassment Lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. Fight for Victims Who Have Been Sexually Harassed in the Workplace
If you are a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, the experienced Philadelphia sexual harassment lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. are ready to fight for you. Contact us online or call us today at 215-569-1999 for a free consultation. We are centrally located in Philadelphia, and we proudly serve clients from the surrounding areas, including Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, and throughout the state of New Jersey.
