Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/482332
TheAssociatedPress SANFRANCISCO Aformer Facebook employee is su- ing the company on allega- tions that she was discrim- inated against, harassed and belittled during her brief employment there. Chia Hong filed the lawsuit this week in a San Francisco Bay Area supe- rior court, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday. She is being represented by Lawless & Lawless, one of two firms representing the interim chief execu- tive of Reddit, Ellen Pao, in her gender discrimina- tion lawsuit against a Sil- icon Valley venture capi- tal firm. Hong worked at Face- book as a product man- ager and then as a technol- ogy specialist in finance for about three years before she was terminated in Oc- tober 2013. The Taiwanese woman says she was re- placed by a less-qualified, less-experienced man. Facebook disputes the claims. The lawsuit alleges com- pany officials asked Hong "why she did not stay home and take care of her chil- dren," and regularly ig- nored or belittled her pro- fessional opinions at meet- ings where she was one of few women. The suit says they also ordered Hong to organize parties and serve drinks to male colleagues, which wasn't part of her job de- scription. In addition, Hong claims she was told "that she was not integrated into the team because she looks different and talks differ- ent than other team mem- bers," according to the law- suit. Facebook maintains it did not mistreat Hong. "We work extremely hard on issues related to diversity, gender and equality, and we believe we've made progress," the company said in a state- ment to the newspaper. "In this case, we have substantive disagreements on the facts, and we believe the record shows the em- ployee was treated fairly." TERMINATED IN 2013 WomansuesFacebookfordiscrimination The Associated Press HINKLEY A Mojave Des- ert community whose toxic chromium contamination was portrayed in the movie "Erin Brockovich" is set to lose its post office, plus its only gas station and conve- nience store. Although postal officials say they will be looking for a new location, the Hinkley Post Office, which has been at the same location since 1958, will close Friday. The number of street deliveries in Hinkley has dropped by nearly 38 per- cent — from 504 in 2012 to 321 in 2015, U.S. Postal Ser- vice spokesperson Eva M. Jackson told the San Ber- nardino Sun newspaper for a story Wednesday. Rented boxes have dropped 76 per- cent, from 321 to 75, during the same period, she said. Hinkley's population has been dwindling for years as the community struggled with concerns over the can- cer-causing chromium-6 in well water. During the 1950s and 1960s, PG&E used chro- mium-6 to kill algae and protect the metal at its Hin- kley natural gas pumping station. Decades later, resi- dents blamed their illnesses on a growing plume of con- taminated groundwater. The utility reached a $333 million settlement with residents in a case por- trayed in the hit 2000 film "Erin Brockovich," starring Julia Roberts. Business at the conve- nience store — the Hinkley Market — collapsed after the nearby Hinkley Elemen- tary School closed in June 2013, the newspaper said. The school shut down be- cause of dwindling enroll- ment. The market and gas station will close at the end of April. "It's another blow to the community," said Lester White, a longtime commu- nity advocate, of the loss of the town's only storefront. The land parcel contain- ing the gas station, market and post office is owned by Barstow resident Tawfig A. Musitef, who could not be reached for comment. PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith told the Sun that the company is in negotiations to buy the parcel. "Not all the 'i's have been dotted and the 't's crossed," but we are working toward a sale," Smith said. PG&E has been buying residential properties in Hinkley for decades as peo- ple seek to relocate. SHRINKING POPULATION 'Brockovich' town to lose post office THEINLANDVALLEYDAILYBULLETIN The Post Office in Hinkley is closing Friday. ThePlumbingShop 530.527.1900 Plumbing Inc. 530.527.6403 Powder Coating 530.527.5155 20779 Walnut St. • PO Box 1243 Red Bluff, CA 96080 STEVE RUSSELL C 530.526.3407 F 530.527.3311 Lic. 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