The Dave Chappelle controversy just keeps getting worse for Netflix. The streaming giant has reportedly fired the organizer of the trans employee walkout set for October 20. Calling it a “day of rest,” trans employees were encouraged to not report to work in an effort to let Netflix know that “we challenge the very principles of our company.” However, as news of the walkout broke, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos continued to double down on his defense of streaming Chappelle’s controversial new special, The Closer, and now, the organizer of the event, who is reportedly Black and pregnant, has been terminated. Via The Verge:
“All these white people are going around talking to the press and speaking publicly on Twitter and the only person who gets fired is the Black person who was quiet the entire time,” says a former employee in an interview with The Verge. “That’s absurd, and just further shows that Black trans people are the ones being targeted in this conversation.”
According to a Netflix spokesperson, the employee in question has been fired for allegedly leaking internal metrics that were featured in a Bloomberg report on how much Chappelle’s special cost as well as its return on investment for the streaming service.
“We have let go of an employee for sharing confidential, commercially sensitive information outside the company,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We understand this employee may have been motivated by disappointment and hurt with Netflix, but maintaining a culture of trust and transparency is core to our company.”
(Via The Verge)