GitHub head of HR resigns after investigation into firing of Jewish employee over Capitol riot comments

KEY POINTS

• Microsoft-owned GitHub said on Sunday that the company's head of human resources resigned after an investigation into the company's dismissal of a Jewish employee.
• On Jan. 8, GitHub fired one of its employees after he expressed concern for colleagues as a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, calling some of the rioters "Nazis."
• After an investigation, GitHub's COO said there were "significant errors of judgment and procedure" with the company's decision to split with the employee.

Trump supporters stand on the U.S. Capitol Police armored vehicle as others take over the steps of the Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, as the Congress works to certify the electoral college votes.

Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images

Microsoft-owned GitHub, the code sharing site for software developers, said on Sunday that the company's head of human resources resigned after an investigation into the company's dismissal of a Jewish employee found "significant errors of judgment and procedure."

On Jan. 8, GitHub fired one of its employees after he expressed concern for colleagues in Washington D.C. as a violent mob supporting President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol. The terminated employee told TechCrunch in an interview published on Friday that he made a comment in Slack saying "stay safe homies, Nazis are about."

Fellow GitHub employees raised concerns about why the company fired the employee immediately afterward, according to a statement from Chief Operating Officer Erica Brescia. After an independent investigation, the company found "significant errors of judgment and procedure" concerning the dismissal of the employee, Brescia said.

"Our head of HR has taken personal accountability and resigned from GitHub yesterday morning, Saturday, January 16th," Brescia said in a blog post on Sunday. The company did not disclose the name of the human resources chief who resigned, however, Carrie Olesen has served in the top spot.

A supporter of President Donald Trump carries a Conferderate battle flag on the second floor of the U.S. Capitol near the entrance to the Senate after breaching security defenses, in Washington, January 6, 2021.

Mike Theiler | Reuters

A spokesperson for the company wasn't immediately available for comment. Brescia said GitHub "immediately reversed" its decision to split with the employee "and are in communication with his representative."

"To the employee we wish to say publicly: we sincerely apologize," Brescia said.

The company's Chief Executive Officer Nat Friedman acknowledged in the post that the violent mob did include "Nazis and white supremacists."

On Wednesday, FBI spokeswoman Christina Pullen said in a statement that a man who was photographed at the riot wearing a "Camp Auschwitz" shirt was arrested, NBC News reported. A rioter photographed carrying a Confederate battle flag in the halls of the Capitol was also arrested the following day.

"Employees are free to express concerns about Nazis, antisemitism, white supremacy or any other form of discrimination or harassment in internal discussions," Friedman said in a statement.