Where Was This Hiding?

Last week, I was sent an article from the Mercury News that somehow managed to escape churning to the top during the District 8 race.

It seems that, back in 2002, Rose Herrera sued her then employer, Veritas Software, for sexual harassment.

A former sales executive at Veritas Software filed a sexual discrimination suit against the software company this week, charging that Veritas fired her after she complained about company-sponsored strip-club outings and other alleged harassment.

In the suit, filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court, Rose Herrera, a former business development manager, contended that Veritas managers organized visits to strip clubs during regional sales meetings, causing discomfort to some female employees and creating a hostile work environment in violation of state law.

The lawsuit also cites an instance in which the manager of the Western Region consulting unit, Chris Daly, allegedly invited "at least one prostitute" to pose with employees for the unit's official Christmas photo, which was then distributed to some Veritas customers.

The case was settled in early 2003, apparently following mediation. (Any lawyers out there want to parse this?)

I struggled with whether or not I should post this, if it was even relevant, and decided that it was, for two reasons.

First of all, in my opinion, it shows decided strength of character to take such a stand against an employer and, assuming the case wasn't dismissed out of hand, should even have been considered by the candidate as a point in her favor - standing up to injustice.

Second, not everyone would agree with my assessment. For a candidate running from second place, as was Pat Waite, there must have been some temptation to reveal the issue. In fact, a last minute revelation framed in a way that indicated Herrera was hiding the lawsuit could have pushed Waite over the top in this election. That he declined to use this (when he must surely have known about it) is a testament to his character.

Net on this: I'd say that Herrera likely dodged a bullet. If this dropped two weeks before Election Day, coupled with the known bankruptcy, it may have crippled her campaign. And the lesson to future candidates is this - don't risk it. Lay your cards on the table. Control your own message.

End of sermon.