I log on once in a long while, and I see this. Such a, well, interesting statement, lets unpack it.
Hmmm, what do we have here? At first it seems like VEX doesn’t want to undermine past employees’ experiences, but then goes on to suggest there is misinformation that has spreaded. This directly undermines said employees’ experiences by calling into question what they went through. Most of what I have heard discussed online pertains to the CD & VF threads, so unless the employees are maliciously lying about experiences to undermine VEX as a company (which I think we all, except for some reason you @ VEX_Robotics, can say is not true), there is no reason to say there is truth that needs to be “unveiled” (because, spoiler alert, it already has).
If you read CD thread, you would know. If your HR department was competent at their job and logged reports instead of contributing to IFI workplace issue, you would know.
Just because you have policies, does not mean they are followed to greatest extent. That is like saying “My mom has a strict no sweets policy before bedtime, but sometimes my father allows be to have Oreo cookie & milk before sleeping”. If you had competent HR teams, there would be no discussion to be had here. End of story.
That’s same thing as me saying “I have Indian friend, no way I could be a racist” or “My cousin is bisexual, no way I could be homophobe.” Think of it this way: even if people are vegan, does not mean they are vegan 100% of the time. Some might have “cheat days” or might eat non-vegan food because they did not know it was not vegan. Although in this metaphor you would have known the food was not vegan, and knowingly (and openly to others) indulged in it to the disgust of those around you.
Again, a competent HR team would have forced you to tell a different story.
Employees who have come forth with allegations must have been to scared to lodge complaints over fear of job or perhaps potential promotion/favor with bosses. As told by former employee, one of worst sexual misconduct offenders was employee complaint reviewer. So lets say someone had a complaint to lodge against him, what do you think he would do? I think very much we can see what happened based on your statement above. For many, a toxic workplace brews complacency where rebellion can cost job or lead to living hell for remaining time working there. Especially if complaints are publicly shared with bioss and coworkers.
Yet again you call the complaints into question, as if you are unaware of the toxic workplace created and the validity of allegations raised. Also good to mention that’s not all are against IFI, and those that are not have been prove to have more evidence (as were online and involved traceable chats between offender and victim).
Yes, no org is perfect, but this is prime example of “know better do better”. If your head boss knew about the workplace environment he created, and knew of its wrongdoings, why didn’t he stop it? maybe that extra 1% equity and gun collection was enough to brew complicitness and complacency in mind. Sure, you are not only org to have this problem (look at Weinstein, Activision Blizzard, Jingdong, and the like), but you of all orgs was the last I expect to have it seeing as you primarily deal in educational sector. How would you like your kids to come home and say “the robots we built were partially designed from sexually and verbally abused/threatened employees”? How would you like it if you as a teacher had to make the tough decision to stop teaching robotics because parts company sets bad example for your students with workplace misconduct? Only this time you don’t have to imagine the hypothetical as your higher-ups have made it reality for over 1.1 million students and counting.
Overall you @VEX_Robotics have failed us as a community, and failed the swaths of employees, whether they came out or not, who had to suffer under your abusive management and workplace environment. What was once a dream for many robotics/engineering enjoyers and VRC/FRC/FTC alumni became a living nightmare, and for that I am truly aggrieved and crestfallen. You know, they say that sometimes shock leads to a loss of words, but in this case, all I can convey is my disappointment in not only situation that has come forth but also this disheartening and nonpurposive contemptible “statement” excuse of a “saving face” response.
