“I think I brought these important issues to the forefront of the conversation, but the online aggression has had a toll on me and my family,” Pao said in her Re/code interview. “That so many people heard what I had to say, against all that was brought to bear against me, is a testament to the depth of the problem related to women and tech … [But] I have gone as far as I can go and cannot commit the resources and time that would be needed to continue.”
Ultimately, Pao noted, her decision to wave the white flag was a financial one, and she suggested that the deck, even in the judicial system, is stacked against employees like her. “I think it is wrong that employees have to pay in this situation, but I simply cannot afford the risks of more costs to fight a firm with massive PR and legal resources,” she said. “The court system is not set up to create an even playing field.”
Even though Pao’s case may not have turned out in her favor, a number of major tech companies have certainly made a grand show of increasing their diversity recruitment efforts in the last few months, nodding to the considerable media attention the lawsuit garnered. And while plenty of work remains to be done, one small step for Pao may ultimately prove a leap for women in technology.
You can read Pao’s full statement for Re/code here.
