Uber board member David Bonderman resigned Wednesday after making a sexist comment, according to The New York Times. His resignation raises even more questions about sexism at the ride-sharing company.
The remarks under scrutiny were made at an all-team staff meeting to discuss company culture—you know, the PERFECT place to make a sexist comment when the company is under fire for sexism. Arianna Huffington, girlboss and the first female Uber board member, was discussing how, statistically, once one woman joins a board more are likely to follow. That was the case at Uber, where Wan Ling Martello, a Nestle executive, became the second female board member after Huffington. Through a recording obtained and released by Yahoo, the former board member could be heard saying, “Actually, what it shows is that it’s much more likely to be more talking.” (Because women talk too much, get it? *eye roll*)
Bonderman’s comments really couldn’t have come at a worse time for the ride sharing app. According to Quartz, female Uber employees have found themselves subjected to awful sexism, with one woman publishing a blog post about her experience that soon went viral. After her report, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick called for an investigation into the matter, conducted by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, and a change in culture. At the meeting where Bonderman made the comment, executives were discussing Holder’s report. Bonderman’s comments exemplify the misogynistic “boys’ club” image Uber has been trying to shed.
Despite the comment, Bonderman says he does not want his comments to affect the view of the company. In a statement, Bonderman apologized to Huffington and admonished himself, saying, “I directed a comment to my colleague and friend Arianna Huffington that was careless, inappropriate, and inexcusable.” The statement continues, “Uber is examining the issues with its culture, making significant changes and working to right what has been done wrong, which is extremely important for the future of the company. I do not want my comments to create distraction as Uber works to build a culture of which we can be proud.”
Well. It looks like it’s not women who need to talk less, huh?