NYT disclose ‘racist or discriminatory’ treatment claims of Coinbase employees. The New York Times journalist Nathaniel Popper, published a report on Friday revealing claims of ‘racist or discriminatory’ treatment of Coinbase employees. The report is based on commentary from 23 current and former Coinbase employees. It paints the picture of a company that “has long struggled with its management of Black employees.”
Coinbase, who became aware of a potential story during the fact-checking process, tried to get the story moving on Wednesday night. The organisation sent a statement to its staff and then published the email in a blog post, alerting the public to an imminent “negative story.”
“Given that this story may be read by your friends, family and professional contacts, we wanted to give everyone a heads-up and provide some important context,” the statement reads. Notably, it expressed the company’s belief that the NYT’s report would “likely quote” three former Coinbase employees and one former contractor. This proved to be an underestimation.
The NYT’s report details several incidences of allegedly discriminatory behavior, ranging from racial stereotyping to inadequate practices around the hiring and promotion of Black employees. The Times reports that at least 11 former employees contacted the human resources department or their managers about such incidents.
According to Popper’s report, one former Coinbase employee, Alysa Butler said “Most people of color working in tech know that there’s a diversity problem. But I’ve never experienced anything like Coinbase.”
Kim Milosevich, a Coinbase spokesperson, told the New York Times the company “does not tolerate racial, gender or any other forms of discrimination.” She is also quoted as saying, “All claims of discrimination are treated very seriously, investigated by both internal and third parties, and the appropriate action is taken.”
[image: Clay Banks]
