Mozilla employees ask new CEO Brendan Eich to step down

[Himanshu Arora]

Mozilla on Monday appointed JavaScript creator and former Mozilla CTO Brendan Eich as the company's new CEO. But now many Mozillans have taken to twitter to express their disapproval. The reason behind the boycott is Eich's support to California's Proposition 8 campaign that opposed same-sex marriage in the state, donating $1,000 to the cause back in April 2012.

Eich's name has been a controversial one ever since it was floated as a possible option for the top job. Yesterday, Mozilla Open Badges project lead Chris McAvoy was first to tweet his disapproval of the appointment.

I'm an employee of @mozilla and I'm asking @brendaneich to step down as CEO.

— Chris McAvoy (@chmcavoy) March 27, 2014

Within a matter of minutes, many other employees joined him, asking for Eich to resign from his new position. Those included Mozilla engagement team member Sydney Moyer, festival curator Chloe Vareldi, designer Jessica Klein, and partnerships lead John Bevan.

Following his appointment, Eich had issued a fresh set of commitments on his personal blog stating that he wants to put to rest all concerns through actions and results.

While he hasn't yet commented on the twitter backlash, Mark Surman, executive director of the Mozilla Foundation, has released a statement to The Next Web stating that the company expects and encourages employees to speak up when they disagree with management decisions.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/56176-mozilla-employees-ask-new-ceo-brendan-eich-to-step-down.html

 

[Guest]

Can I ask my boss to step down because he voted for Obama?
I dont know, does it make me weird that I'd be more concerned with the future of a company where a sizable portion of employees think that someone's political views are more important the actual skill on doing their job (if said views arent extremist)?

****n tolerasty...

 

[Guest]

Is no one allowed to voice their support or opposition to an issue, without fear of losing their job?
It would appear that if you support same sex marriage, your job is safe. If you oppose it, then you may lose your job.

 

[Guest]

So now it's wrong to support something you believe in?? Just because people have different views on issues, it doesn't mean they should lose their jobs over it. It sounds like these employees are bitter because Mr. Eich doesn't believe in the same thing they do.

 

[RustyTech]

I foresee employee turnover coming shortly.

 

[Guest]

Probably for the best. Having employees that are willing to embarrass their company like that are of little value. Although I don't fully agree with Eich, He's entitled to his own opinion and deserves to have a job that he earned. If they are that outraged, they should find another job. That's what I would do

 

[Guest]

If you are unhappy with the selection of the executive to lead your organization, then vote with your feet, leave the organization and prove to the world your commitment to your values.

 

[Guest]

Not saying I agree with his statement in any shape or form but this country was formed on free speech. If he doesn't like gay people that's up to him. That may make people uncomfortable and make him very unpleasant to work with but it is no grounds a reason to ask someone to step down or fire them.

 

[davimous]

"It would appear that if you support same sex marriage, your job is safe. If you oppose it, then you may lose your job."

I think that this would really depend where you live. Many places in this world you could lose your job for supporting gay marriage.

 

[Guest]

Immorality is the new morality of the day. Who determine what's right and what's wrong, huh? If he had given towards the BESTIALITY cause, would they be calling for his removal? Surely NOT!!

 

[wastedkill]

Can who ever is spamming/trolling as guest please stop its annoying hence why I want Techspot to remove guests posting....

 

[EClyde]

If he had supported same sex marriage we wouldn't have heard a peep. It's always the haters that support same sex marriage that peep up

 

[Guest]

Would people be defending this guy if he demonstrated blatant racism or antisemitism?

 

[Guest]

If he had supported same sex marriage we wouldn't have heard a peep. It's always the haters that support same sex marriage that peep up

That is not a fair comparison. A more equitable comparison would be this: if he contributed $1000 toward a same-sex marriage law which banned heterosexual marriage. I'm sure people would be in an uproar then.

Everyone (gay or straight) agrees on heterosexual marriage, so there's no controversy there. It's a universally accepted cultural norm. Thoughts on same-sex marriage though remain divided, which is why people speak up in these situations. Being "pro-heterosexual" marriage and "anti-gay" marriage are two completely different things, although the Venn diagram certainly overlaps.

Prop 8 was "pro straight marriage", which is fine, but it was also exclusionary -- it aimed to ban gay marriage. In that sense, Prop 8 was "anti-gay marriage" and not just pro straight marriage. It's that exclusionary part which makes gay marriage supporters peep.

 

[viperfl]

These people can do what they want. I mean I stopped buying girl scout cookies because they support Planned Parenthood. The people at Mozilla just have to think about who it hurts the most. Buy protesting there own company CEO in public, they will probably be without a job. They will be without a job at Mozilla and other tech companies in high profile positions. Companies frown on employees having high profile opinions. These employees are only making Mozilla look bad.

 

[Holotus]

Marriage itself is a waste of effort. The government should not be involved in peoples relationship.

I'm surprised same sex couples would even want to be married in the first place.

 

[Gamesinner]

People will always disagree on many issues. But you have to ask yourself what is more important, personal freedom or the individual issues we all argue over? This political correctness BS is ruining this country. Just think how much more we could get done if we were able to have an honest discussion about all these faux pas subjects. Personally I'd rather have a gay couple living next door to me then say a family of welfare sucking recipients. I mean you know their yard would look great and that would bring up my property value. I always try to look at the issues by thinking about how they effect me and how they benefit me.

 

[Guest]

Welcome to the new age. You are not allowed to have an opinion now or ever in the past unless it falls inline with the liberal mainstream agenda.

 

[Jad Chaar]

Wow I have never seen an appointed CEO being asked to step down just a few days later. I feel that CEOs should keep their controversial opinions silent to keep backlash to a minimum.

 

[guyver1]

Not one comment pointing out what should be obvious.
Mozilla by simple statistics will have a % of LGBT employees, This CEO has expressed through his actions outside the company that these employees are not equal in their CEOs eyes and are not treated on equal terms as their heterosexual co-workers (primarily in LGBT issues because of religious reasons and nothing else)
Its not hard to see why Mozilla employees who support EQUAL rights for ALL, and who may know co-workers who are LGBT would wish to openly comment on this and express their feelings about this.

 

[Guest]

They do? Gonna have to start buying Girl Scout cookies then.

 

[Vrmithrax]

Tough one. Does the guy have a right to his own beliefs and opinions? Sure does! I think the problem is that the employees suddenly have this guy, who has expressed an apparent intolerance to a specific demographic, in charge of their company.

It's easier to say than to do, I know... But I'm with those who say to move to a different company if it bothers you that much. And, make sure it is completely understood why you are leaving. If enough of the employee base are outraged or affected, and they all walk off, Mozilla could be severely crippled - possibly even fatally, if the exodus is large enough, or if it bleeds over into other companies refusing to work with them based on this individual. Making a stance in that fashion is often the quickest way to get reform, and to make sure future decisions are made in the interest of the entire company.

 

[captaincranky]

It's really disturbing to me, that with all the "freedom of speech" the internet allegedly makes available to you, you're only free to express an opinion that's being dictated to you by, of all people, your hirelings.

Personally, these Mozilla employees sound like a bunch of overindulged, pseudo-intellectual snot bags, who would find fault with whoever was appointed CEO, unless it was each and every one of them personally.

Personally, I think gay marriage should be legal, to a degree. I think, as long as government benefits and inheritance benefits are available to gay partners, I believe the cause has been won.

On the other hand, if the homosexual community wants to sit around delivering a lengthy and tedious self promotion campaign because they specifically want the term, "marriage" to attach to domestic partnerships, and are going to hold their collective breath until they get it, then they're nothing more than a whiny batch of obnoxious Mozilla employees.

 

[havok585]

Not saying I agree with his statement in any shape or form but this country was formed on free speech. If he doesn't like gay people that's up to him. That may make people uncomfortable and make him very unpleasant to work with but it is no grounds a reason to ask someone to step down or fire them.

Nobody likes gay ppl, true story.

 

[havok585]

If he had supported same sex marriage we wouldn't have heard a peep. It's always the haters that support same sex marriage that peep up

That is not a fair comparison. A more equitable comparison would be this: if he contributed $1000 toward a same-sex marriage law which banned heterosexual marriage. I'm sure people would be in an uproar then.

Everyone (gay or straight) agrees on heterosexual marriage, so there's no controversy there. It's a universally accepted cultural norm. Thoughts on same-sex marriage though remain divided, which is why people speak up in these situations. Being "pro-heterosexual" marriage and "anti-gay" marriage are two completely different things, although the Venn diagram certainly overlaps.

Prop 8 was "pro straight marriage", which is fine, but it was also exclusionary -- it aimed to ban gay marriage. In that sense, Prop 8 was "anti-gay marriage" and not just pro straight marriage. It's that exclusionary part which makes gay marriage supporters peep.

Too bad I cant edit my previous comment, but u could simply say being "hetero-sexual" = normal, and being gay=abnormal, no need to explain on 10 pages.

 

[Guest]

There are a lot of stupid people posting as guests here, huh?

 

[captaincranky]

There are a lot of stupid people posting as guests here, huh?

There are a lot of stupid people posting as regulars as well. So, I see no plausible reason for your defamatory, discriminatory remarks singling out guests as being stupid! And if you're speaking unkindly toward stupid gay guests, then I'm really, really tellin'! (The ACLU)