Linus Media Group CEO Terren Tong has responded to audio of a leaked HR meeting held a day after ex-employee Madison Reeve’s departure in a statement by Dexerto.
Linus Tech Tips has had a tumultuous week, starting with allegations from Gamers Nexus, which were addressed in an apology video, which was not well-received by the community. Amid the furor, ex-employee Madison Reeve came forward with allegations of harassment and bullying during their tenure at the YouTube content production house.
Linus Sebastian responded to these allegations, claiming he was in a “state of shock” reading through the allegations. However, since Linus’s comments, audio resurfaced of an HR meeting, taking place on December 10, 2021, a day after Reeve’s departure. The video was originally posted over six months ago, and once again came to light on the Linus Tech Tips subreddit.
Speaking to Dexerto, Linus Media Group CEO Terren Tong commented on the leaked audio of the meeting: “We stand by our prior comments that it was shocking to see all of the allegations put forth by a former employee” Tong states, before repeating that the company is taking matters “very seriously” and “are working on hiring a third party investigator to examine these allegations”.
The newly anointed CEO continues: “Back in 2021 the purpose of the staff meeting was to:”
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- “Encourage openness and transparency both for individuals and their peers if there are any concerns so that they can be actioned immediately”
- “Provide guidelines for problem solving and conflict resolution – standing up for what’s right, working as a team, using information they have to judge situations and make well informed decisions”
- “Reinforce that ethical companies comply with the stringent legal boundaries on what can be said about human resource related matters”
- “Reiterate escalation options to ensure that problems can be properly actioned: the direct manager, the owners of the company, or a third party HR firm.”
- “Remind the team to utilize the anonymous feedback form if they aren’t comfortable with going through the channels mentioned above”
Tong’s comments do not address an off-color remark made by a staff member during the meeting, in which they state: “You gonna dance on that table, or just stand on it?” following Linus’s invitation for comment after the meeting’s conclusion.
The Linus Media Group CEO concludes “…in the event that there was a series of cascading failures at every level, including the external HR firm, employees are still protected through the BC Employment Standards Act so we encourage employees at any company to use established resources that are available and accessible.”
Former LTT employee comes forward
Colin Worobetz, former writer at Linus Media Group, has also chimed in regarding Madison Reeve’s allegations, claiming the following on his Reddit account. “…the story as she’s told it in the posts today is as I remember it back then.”
Overall? We made technical errors all the time – most get caught. Selling the prototype has an element of Occam's razor isn't excusable either. @suuuoppp's posts today in are line with what I remember hearing back when we were colleagues, and it takes mad huevos to post that. 👀
— Dub (@DubMFG) August 17, 2023
As the Linus Media Group continues to reckon with the fallout from this week’s events, we will be sure to keep a keen eye on any developments moving forward. Not caught up on everything? We’ve got an explainer for you here.