TL;DR: Mozilla is trying to push me out because I have cancer, CPO says in bombshell lawsuit

A reusable TL;DR I can send people, instead of pasting all of this in the chats.

source, archive

• Teixeira, appointed in August 2022, helped reverse the decade-long decline of Firefox [...] He's further credited with growing Mozilla's advertising business, and AI capabilities, and with reducing investment in the money-losing Pocket service.

• complaint
• Teixeira was to become CEO, but while he was absent, the board abruptly decided to appoint a board member as CEO

  • conversation in September 2023 when Baker outlined a plan for Teixeira to become CEO

  • Then he took medical leave and before he could return, the complaint says, Chambers was appointed interim CEO and Baker was removed, becoming Executive Chair of the Board of Directors.

  • The board decision to remove Ms Baker was so abrupt that they did not conduct a search for a successor, resulting in the naming of one of their own board members, Ms Chambers, as interim CEO

• On the day Teixeira returned to his job, it's claimed, he was instructed to lead a company-wide layoff of 50 people

  • Mr Teixeira had ethical concerns regarding the layoffs because they were primarily motivated by a desire to increase profit margins at Mozilla, which was already operating at a profit

  • Mr Teixeira viewed this as antithetical to Mozilla’s values as espoused on their website: 'We're backed by a non-profit, which means we prioritize the interests of people first, not corporate profits.'

• Pushed to a different role with a 40% pay cut

  • Chambers "suggested that Mr Teixeira move into a different role to free up time for cancer treatment." At the time, he was no longer receiving regular treatment.

  • Chambers proposed moving Teixeira to a new role, SVP of Technology Strategy, which would last until the end of 2024, it is claimed. The position entailed a 40 percent pay cut and we're told Teixeira declined the demotion

  • Teixeira was given an ultimatum with three options: Accept the new role and begin work; accept the new role and take long term leave; or "to not accept the role and move to a severance conversation."