2023 ICANN agency that survived layoffs sued by former employees

This week, a female former employee who worked for 22 years at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) filed a lawsuit alleging that the nonprofit organization failed to properly address sexual harassment, gender discrimination and wrongful termination. The lawsuit has been filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

I. Overview of the Lawsuit's Allegations

In the lawsuit, the plaintiff alleges that, as ICANN's second longest serving employee, she experienced multiple forms of harassment and discrimination over the past 22 years of her career. The lawsuit states that despite ICANN's stated commitment to gender equality, the plaintiff believes that this commitment only “masks serious internal problems”.

The plaintiffs describe several specific incidents:

- 2006 Harassment: The plaintiff alleges that an ICANN colleague at the time asked her to come to his room during a meeting, and called several times afterward to request a meeting. She alleges that the employee retaliated after learning that she had reported it, prevented team members from assisting her, and ultimately received a promotion.

- 2008 Harassment: Plaintiff alleges that the then-supervisor tried to grab her hand and engage in inappropriate behavior, which continued for years.

II. Recent Developments

The lawsuit also cites that many of the people involved were fired in 2023. The plaintiffs allege that interim CEO Sally Costerton publicly shared details about the harassment allegations, causing the news to spread among ICANN employees and the community, thereby damaging her reputation. In addition, the plaintiffs allege that an outside investigator hired by ICANN defended ICANN's failure to address harassment and discrimination and blamed the victims, including accusing the plaintiffs of “inviting sexual comments.”

During the course of the litigation, the plaintiffs indicated that they were on medical leave due to the mental distress they felt as a result of the alleged harassment. However, at the time ICANN announced the layoffs, she was on sick leave and was terminated as a result.

ICANN's Response

In response to the lawsuit, ICANN stated that the organization's board of directors conducted a thorough and independent investigation into the issues once reported by the plaintiffs.ICANN categorically denies many of the allegations made in the lawsuit and says it will defend the organization and its policies.ICANN's statement noted that “ICANN is committed to creating a positive, safe, and inclusive work and community environment, and to adheres to the highest ethical and legal standards. We have a zero-tolerance policy for harassment, discrimination and retaliation and will take appropriate steps in response to this lawsuit.”

The lawsuit is still in the legal process, and ICANN says it will continue to cooperate with the investigation and firmly refute any false allegations.