back to article Accused! Yahoo! exec! SUES! her! accuser!, says! sex! harassment! never! happened!

Maria Zhang, the Yahoo! executive accused of sexual harassment by former staffer Nan Shi, has filed a countersuit for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, claiming Shi's allegations are nothing but a pack of lies. Lawyers representing Zhang filed the cross-complaint in the California Superior Court in …

  1. beast666

    Cat fight!

    1. Dick Pountain

      More like cat v sabretooth tiger I fear

  2. Charles Manning

    Playmobil logic

    Playmobil or it didn't happen.

    No Playmobil, therefore it didn't happen.

  3. Steven Roper

    It's funny

    that it's two women in a sexual harassment case. Who knows who's going to win this one?

    If one of them was male - either the accuser or accused - it would be much more cut-and-dried: guilty by possession of a penis. But in this case the uncertainty is high enough that we could take bets on the outcome. Zhang or Shi? Boss or underling?

    I'd probably put my money on Shi since allowing a defamation countersuit as a response to a sexual harassment claim would likely set an undesirable precedent in the eyes of the pro-feminist power base within the legal system.

    1. Mark 85

      Re: It's funny

      I suggest staying out this fight and probably as far away as possible. I'm expecting collateral damage on a WMD scale. Or, alternately, we get the courthouse early and sell tickets for seats....

    2. Irony Deficient

      Who knows who’s going to win this one?

      Steven, I know who’ll win this one — the attorneys.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: It's funny

      This will either be touted as a female employee in a male dominated workplace being sexually harassed by her boss, or

      A female boss in a male dominated workplace being accused of sexual impropriety because she has obtained a position of power.

      Its a win-win.

      1. Gordon 10
        FAIL

        Re: It's funny

        Eh? You do get that they are both female don't you?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: It's funny

          > Eh? You do get that they are both female don't you?

          Yes, I do. You do get that no matter which female wins it will be touted as a victory for an oppressed female in a male dominated workplace?

    4. Craigness

      Re: It's funny

      Women never make false allegations, but women never objectify people or feel entitled to sex. So hard to pick a winner in this one.

    5. ElReg!comments!Pierre

      Re: It's funny

      Hard to bet on this one. On one hand them sharing a dwelling is inappropriate, and that would play against Zhang. On the other hand she has Yahoo! legal team behind her...

      These cases are much easier to bet on when a male is involved.

    6. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: It's funny

      guilty by possession of a penis

      Would have worked re: Lorena Bobbitt, I guess!

      But what about guilt by virtue of not being gay?

      In the usual interest of positive discrimination, it seems to me Yahoo must be the guilty party. Somehow.

    7. LucreLout
      Paris Hilton

      Re: It's funny

      "It's funny that it's two women in a sexual harassment case. Who knows who's going to win this one?"

      All I can say is that I hope there is a video and I hope it is leaked.

      Paris, because there's always a video, and it's always leaked.

    8. Hollerith 1

      Re: It's funny

      Not that amusing -- most accused do have a penis because most people in power are men, and some men (although not my lovely colleagues) get a wee bit confused about what is appropriate use of power and what is not. On the other hand, one of the most vicious bullies I've ever worked for was female. Power tends to corrupt...

  4. frank ly

    Lessons learned

    Always wear Google Glass when having any kind of interaction with anybody else. Store the recordings for two years and ... oh, wait a minute .....

  5. Caesarius
    Headmaster

    Yahoo sounds a bit like Billy Bunter

    "no support for Shi’s assertion that there was ever any sexual relationship between her and Zhang – much less that there was a non-consensual sexual relationship."

    OK, so how do you get "much less" than "no support"? It's like Billy Bunter claiming innocence and extenuating circumstances.

    (Icon also in respect of Greyfriars)

  6. Billa Bong

    What goes around...

    It's standard practice in America to counter sue, so this is no surprise really. Still curious to know if these two were actually living together in "company housing" (why would an exec be in a shared accomodation block??)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Go

      Re: What goes around...

      To be fair, if you are accused of being a lesbian rapist and you're not*, I think it's pretty fair to sue the accuser for every penny they have.

      *Yet to be proven either way.

  7. John Tserkezis

    Where's Jerry Springer when you want him?

    Seriously, take away the corporate suits and you've got yourself a show!

  8. Fihart

    Now we know ?

    Why Yahoo so often shows pictures of attractive young Asian women ?

    Wish they'd concentrate on work instead -- Yahoo Mobile Mail has been impossible for me to sign into on either Blackberry or Android for some days now.

    No response so far from Yahoo "Care" on Twitter or Facebook.

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
      Trollface

      Re: Now we know ?

      Yahoo Mobile Mail has been impossible for me to sign into on either Blackberry or Android for some days now.

      Is it the asian females which distract you?

      I can understand...

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Imbroglio

    Is my new favourite word!

    1. itzman

      Re: Imbroglio

      And mine is schadenfreude.

  10. Gis Bun

    Hmmm. And I was sure one was Meyers....

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