Tinder is asserting that former VP of marketing and communications Rosette Pambakian must settle her sexual assault allegations in arbitration.
Pambakian claims that the dating app’s ex-CEO Greg Blatt groped her at a company Christmas party in 2016 and continually made inappropriate comments to her and other female colleagues.
The allegations were originally a part of the Tinder founders’ lawsuit against Match Group and IAC, which claimed stock was purposefully undervalued so the company could avoid paying significant sums to early employees.
However, Pambakian was forced to withdraw from the case, alongside three other plaintiffs, after it was revealed she had signed an arbitration agreement which prevented her from settling employment-related issues inside the courts.
Later, she filed her own lawsuit; one which also includes the claim that the human resources department covered up her reports in exchange for a proposed salary raise. Tinder has now responded stating the case also falls under the arbitration clause and must be settled in private.
A Match Group spokesperson issued a statement in early August saying: “The Match Group Board takes allegations of workplace misconduct extremely seriously.
“We investigate reports of misconduct, including sexual harassment, promptly and thoroughly, and take appropriate action, including swift termination of those responsible for such behavior.”
They concluded, after an investigation was carried out by two independent law firms, that “no violation of law or company policy” had taken place.
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