'Altman got a verbal warning for writing on an internal board that certain employees should be fired. “I meant only bigoted white men should be fired. They interpreted it as applying to all white men,” Altman says'
I think this statement goes a long way towards helping Damore. That a senior engineer can say something like this openly and not see how it could cause concern and accusations of double standards is telling. I am not advocating for or against Damore but statements like these are not helpful. Saying Bigots should be fired but when you specify race and gender, you are encouraging feelings of persecution and animosity.
I personally don't believe that a workplace is the right location for either Altman or Damore's statements. However, if a culture of allowing this sort of talk is created, you cannot arbitrarily decide that one side is right or wrong without inviting a lawsuit.
Google is currently learning that people need clearly defined rules and if you allow people to say and act how they want in a professional environment, confrontations and trouble are inevitable.
I think this statement goes a long way towards helping Damore. That a senior engineer can say something like this openly and not see how it could cause concern and accusations of double standards is telling. I am not advocating for or against Damore but statements like these are not helpful. Saying Bigots should be fired but when you specify race and gender, you are encouraging feelings of persecution and animosity.
I personally don't believe that a workplace is the right location for either Altman or Damore's statements. However, if a culture of allowing this sort of talk is created, you cannot arbitrarily decide that one side is right or wrong without inviting a lawsuit.
Google is currently learning that people need clearly defined rules and if you allow people to say and act how they want in a professional environment, confrontations and trouble are inevitable.