Former Ethereum Foundation employee sues the Foundation and Vitalik Buterin, alleging wrongful termination

Odaily reports: Kayleen Fulton (online handle "Nixo") filed a lawsuit on November 4 in Colorado against the Ethereum Foundation, its Singapore affiliate, management member Bastian Aue, and Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, alleging she was wrongfully terminated for questioning employee commitment requirements.

The complaint states that Fulton was fired on April 6. She also alleges the Foundation engaged in disability discrimination and interfered with her medical leave rights, circumstances that coincided with the timing of her disclosure of a cancer diagnosis to the Foundation. The dispute involves the "EF Mandate" published by the Foundation on March 13, one clause of which requires employees who fail to fulfill their commitments to "fall on their sword."

The complaint states that employees could choose to endorse the direction of the mandate or leave; Aue said the self-killing language was not meant literally. Fulton and colleague Trent Van Epps organized an open letter supporting the Foundation's direction but opposing some of the mandate's conditions; the letter gathered 53 signatures, and the two were subsequently fired.

The complaint also cites a conversation between Fulton and Buterin on May 1 in Norway. Fulton claims she was offered a severance agreement of one year's salary, but after signing under pressure she did not receive payment and later withdrew the agreement; she is seeking damages in an undisclosed amount as well as unpaid wages. (The Block)