Benjamin Humphrey, the CEO of Dovetail, is facing a lawsuit for sexual harassment and discrimination. Bethany Lo Russo, the company’s legal counsel, has taken the case to Federal Court. Lo Russo claims that Humphrey coerced her into a non-consensual relationship.
She also alleges that the company ignored her numerous allegations of sexual assault. Humphrey denies the allegations and states that the relationship was consensual. He has provided correspondence, including text messages with Lo Russo and her sister, to support his claims.
In a public admission, Humphrey acknowledged that entering into a relationship with a subordinate was a lapse in judgment. However, he maintains that his actions were not illegal. “I acknowledge that in my position, getting into a relationship with someone at work was an error of judgement.
However, I do not believe I did anything illegal,” he said. The Dovetail board was reportedly aware of the relationship.
Dovetail CEO and legal conflict
This highlights a potential oversight in governance given the board consists of Humphrey and another individual. As the Federal Court proceedings continue, Humphrey has expressed his frustrations with the court process on LinkedIn. He concluded his remarks with the desire to “get back to work.”
This case underscores the critical importance for startup founders to maintain clear boundaries.
It also highlights the need to safeguard the integrity and culture of their organizations. Humphrey’s attempt to publicly address the allegations on LinkedIn has drawn criticism from women in the startup ecosystem. Legal experts are split over his decision to question the courts and the media while litigation is active.
In a post visible only to his contacts, Humphrey characterized the Federal Court filing as “extraordinary allegations about a consensual relationship.” He criticized media access to court documents before a defense could be filed. “For some reason in Australia, the media can access Court documents that contain explosive and highly damaging allegations before you have a chance to file a defense,” he wrote. Humphrey indicated he had “texts, photos, voice notes, videos, and more” to contest the claims.
The post, which had comments disabled, signed off with “Now let’s get back to work.”
The statement drew swift criticism from women in the startup ecosystem, who circulated screenshots of the contacts-only post privately. One prominent ecosystem leader said on condition of anonymity that the sign-off was “indicative of how these types of issues are considered a ‘distraction’ by leaders.”
Legal experts remain divided on Humphrey’s decision to make a statement during active litigation. Some argue it could prejudice legal proceedings while others believe it might influence public opinion in his favor.
