Mark Zuckerberg's personal security chief out over allegations of sexual harassment
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's personal security chief won't be returning to his job after being accused of sexual misconduct and slurs that included racist remarks about Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg's wife.
The parting of ways announced Monday comes five weeks after a Business Insider article uncovered a litany of allegations against Liam Booth, whose LinkedIn profile described him as a former Secret Service officer who had been working with Zuckerberg's family charity since 2017.
According to the article, two former employees with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative allege that Booth created a hostile work environment and staffers were "repeatedly subjected to homophobic and transphobic diatribes." They allege that Booth made racist remarks about Chan's driving ability "because she's a woman and Asian and Asians have no peripheral vision," and told a staffer he didn't trust Blacks and "white lives matter more."
The lawsuit also claims that the managing director of Zuckerberg's private office, Brian Mosteller, failed to take action when they raised complaints.
The accusers are suing for lost wages and damages for "emotional distress."
Booth had been placed on leave since the allegations surfaced. Although its investigation didn't substantiate the accusations, Zuckerberg's family office said Booth agreed he shouldn't return to work to minimize "distractions."
"Mr. Booth knows that minimizing distractions is vital to executing the security duties in this role, so he has decided to move on from the family office to pursue other opportunities. The family office is grateful for his service and wishes Mr. Booth the best in his future endeavors," wrote spokesperson Ben LaBolt in a statement Monday, according to CBS San Francisco.
The Bloom Firm, whose lawyers are representing employees accusing Booth, didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.
