Kate Lowry, a former vice president at Insight Partners, is suing the company, alleging disability discrimination, sex discrimination, and wrongful termination, according to a lawsuit filed in San Mateo County, California, on December 30 and reviewed by TechCrunch.
Insight Partners did not immediately respond to TechCrunch's request for comment.
Lowry told TechCrunch that he filed the lawsuit because he believes “too many powerful and wealthy people in venture companies are breaking the law and acting like it's okay to systematically underpay and abuse their employees.”
“This is an oppressive system;[s] A pervasive tendency in society to use fear, intimidation, and power to silence and isolate the truth. I'm trying to change that. ”
Mr. Lowry began working at Insight Partners in 2022 after working at Meta, McKinsey & Company, and early-stage startups. The complaint alleges that once she was hired, she was assigned a different supervisor than the person mentioned during her interview.
She claims in her lawsuit that her new boss, a woman, told her to be “online at all times, including paid holidays, holidays, and weekends” and to be available “every day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.”
Lowry said in her lawsuit that this first supervisor “reprimanded, disgusted, and hostile” to her, and that she openly spoke of his dislike “at length and more intensely” than what she gave to other men's reports.
Among the comments his boss allegedly made were, “You're incompetent, just shut up and take notes,” and “You need to follow me like a dog. Whenever I tell you, do everything without saying a word,” the complaint said. Lowry also claimed that her supervisor assigned her “redundant work” and restricted her participation in calls while allowing her less experienced male colleagues to do so. Instead, she claims, Laurie was relegated to “administrative tasks such as note-taking and cataloging.”
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Lowry said her work environment made her “unwell” and her doctor advised her to take medical leave, which she was granted and took from February to July 2023.
When she returned to work, she was assigned to a new team, but the human resources director told her that “if the new team didn't like her, she would be fired,” the complaint alleges.
In September 2023, Rowley said he suffered a concussion and took another medical leave, returning to work near the end of 2024. As some employees left, they were placed under the supervision of new personnel, who continued to receive poor treatment, Rowley said. She also claims that her 2024 compensation was about 30% below market rates.
She claims she was told her pay would be reduced by April 2025. In May 2025, Rowley, through her lawyer, sent a letter to Insight regarding the company's alleged treatment. A week later, the company terminated her employment, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit is reminiscent of Ellen Pao's 2012 lawsuit against Kleiner Perkins, which alleged discrimination and retaliation. The case offered a rare glimpse at the time into how female partners felt they were treated in venture capital firms. Although Pao lost her case, it sent ripples through the industry, with other women suing big tech companies.