#OpenUpThatDoor: TikTok Executives Face Lawsuit Over Toxic Workplace Culture 'open up that door tik tok'

A new lawsuit has been filed against popular social media platform TikTok, alleging a toxic and discriminatory work environment at the company's highest levels.

According to court documents obtained by HT, former executive Loretta Puris claims she faced widespread sexism and misogyny during her time at the New York-based office. The 2021 complaint states that Puris was subjected to demeaning comments about her appearance, belittled in front of colleagues, and ultimately forced out of her position due to being a woman.

One particularly egregious example cited in the lawsuit involves former CEO Lidong Zhang's alleged views on women. According to the suit, Zhang believed female employees should exhibit 'docility and meekness' – qualities that Puris allegedly lacked during her tenure as managing director and head of business marketing for US operations.

The complaint further alleges that once an employee made it onto Zhang's infamous 'kill list', they faced retaliatory actions including being demoted or terminated without cause, denied opportunities for advancement within the company, and even subjected to verbal abuse from their superiors. Puris herself reportedly suffered serious health problems due to the stress and pressure she endured after landing on this mysterious roster.

The allegations paint a picture of an environment rife with sexism where women were constantly second-guessed, belittled, and ultimately pushed out in favor of more docile male counterparts. The suit claims that Puris's rapid rise through the ranks – including being promoted to lead global business marketing within just two months on board – only seemed to anger Zhang further.

'Part of Lidong Zhang's ‘kill list’ approach was to build a case against any employee he placed on the list and instruct other employees to do the same,' according to Puris. Her health began 'to suffer under the stress and pressure after she became part of his list.'

The lawsuit also claims that by mid-2021, it had become clear that Puris was now firmly entrenched at number one spot on Zhang's 'kill list'. As a result, TikTok allegedly started minimising her role within the company. She says she was left out of important decisions affecting her team and eventually forced to resign from her position altogether.

Puris joins an growing list of former employees who have spoken out against tech giants like Google, Facebook (now Meta), Amazon, Apple, Microsoft (GAFAM) over similar allegations of workplace harassment and discrimination.

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