Katie Puris, an ex-TikTok employee has sued the social media company and its parent ByteDance, claiming that she had been forced out of her job after she complained about discrimination based on sex, age and disability.
Puris stated in the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, that her firing in 2022 was the result of a series of incidents, where she reported bias and even sexual harassment to supervisors and human resources.
She has also claimed that TikTok denied her leave to address medical concerns, a result of the stress and pressure of the job.
In a joint statement, Puris’s lawyers Marjorie Mesidor and Monica Hincken said that she faced swift retaliation for complaining about discrimination despite being “enormously successful” at her job.
“TikTok’s actions against Ms. Puris are illegal and we look forward to vindicating her rights,” they added.
The lawsuit accuses TikTok and ByteDance of violating U.S and New York state and city laws prohibiting workplace discrimination and retaliation.