LinkedIn employees made ‘offensive comments’ during anti-racism meeting
Some LinkedIn employees spoke out against anti-racism.
Sarah Tew / CNET
A video call with 9,000 employees is intended to remove racial barriers and promote diverse attitudes LinkedIn was bothered by “offensive comments”. Ryan Roslanksy, the CEO of the professional network, said Thursday that the virtual company’s town hall, which was held earlier this week, went wrong.
The global event was convened on Wednesday after nationwide protests against the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in detention in Minneapolis police. During the meeting, more than 3,500 comments were posted and 200 questions asked, Roslansky said in an online post.
LinkedIn allowed participants to ask questions anonymously, Roslansky said, to create a safe space for everyone. However, some people used anonymity to make insulting comments without accountability.
“Unfortunately, a small number of offensive comments have added to the very hard work we still have to do,” wrote Roslansky. “I’ve also heard people share the pain and frustration they experienced with horrific comments in the questions and answers and in the chat.”
Roslanksy said he could not see the comments while moderating the event because he was in presentation mode. He said LinkedIn will no longer activate anonymous questions in the future.
According to The daily beastSome of the offensive questions were: “How can the hiring of more minorities in leadership and C-suite positions be directed against racism among police officers?” Another person who identified himself as a “non-majority” reportedly said, “In all of these conversations, I feel like I should feel guilty about the color of my skin.”
LinkedIn has not commented on the accuracy of the reported comments.
