Red Hat to Face Female Executive’s Harassment, Defamation Claims

A Red Hat Inc. executive can pursue defamation and hostile environment claims based on a male executive’s alleged declarations that she “slept her way to the top” and related comments, a federal judge ruled.

The “smear campaign” purportedly started after the woman reported her suspicions that he was receiving kickbacks on a contract the software company had with the Veterans Affairs Department, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said. The harassment and disparagement allegedly included him repeatedly referring to her as a “slut” and a “whore” to others in the industry, the court said.

The allegations ...