Dovetail CEO seeks dismissal of explosive harassment lawsuit
The software startup and its CEO have laid out their version of events in their defence against a lawsuit brought by the company's legal counsel.
Dovetail and its co-founder Benjamin Humphrey are requesting the Federal Court of Australia throw out an explosive sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit brought against them by its legal counsel Bethany Lo Russo, arguing the relationship between the two was consensual and the company maintained appropriate workplace policies.
In a detailed defence filed with the court viewed by Capital Brief, Dovetail contests the core claims of Lo Russo's lawsuit, setting the stage for a potentially protracted legal battle.
In their defence, Dovetail and Humphrey strongly rejected Lo Russo's allegations that he engaged in "a pernicious and relentless pursuit" of her involving unwelcome sexual advances during her employment at the company. Instead, they claim Lo Russo initiated the interactions.
Lo Russo's legal claim, which became public last year, details incidents at a 2021 Christmas party, a Hamilton Island company retreat, and various workplace interactions where she alleges Humphrey exploited the power imbalance between his position as CEO and her role as legal counsel.
