Reddit Interim CEO Blount Resigns Amid Weeks Of Controversy
SAN FRANCISCO, July 14 (UPI) — Former Chief Engineer of Reddit, Bethanye Blount, announced her resignation on Monday following weeks of turmoil for the company.
Blount left the company after only two months, saying that she had lost confidence in the company as it attempts to control and monetize its prolific community of members. She added that some of the promises being made to Reddit users will be difficult to deliver on, such as tools to help subreddit moderators and addressing harassment content.
Blount also said that she did not leave the company due to gender discrimination, as she says was the case for former interim CEO Ellen Pao. On July 10, Pao resignedfollowing backlash from allegedly firing Victoria Taylor, the coordinator of a section of the site entitled Ask Me Anything (AMA).
Taylor’s departure led to volunteer Reddit moderators shutting down popular parts of the site in protest. Pao may have also been involved in the shutting down of five offensive forums including r/fatpeoplehate and r/transfags.
Reddit board member Sam Altman said that Reddit would not refrain from cracking down on offensive subreddits. Cooking forum moderator, Jared Shenefield, added that Pao sought to crack down on behavior, not ideas.
In the process of leaving the company, Pao said that Reddit is a site on whichmisogynistic behavior swells, particularly towards a successful female like herself.
Blount says that Pao was placed on a “glass cliff,” meaning she was set up to fail. Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian later admitted to his role in Taylor’s firing and neglected Pao’s, saying it was his “decision to change how we [Reddit] work with AMAs.” Ohanian added that Taylor’s departure was “his failure” and that he is “really excited to be working with Steve again and appreciate what Ellen did during her time.”
Reddit co-found Steven Huffman was appointed to interim CEO after Pao’s resignation. He told Re/code that there is no gender discrimination problem at Reddit and that he remains confident in the company’s ability to recruit women at the executive level.
Huffman also said that George Pang will now serve as interim Chief Engineer.
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