Uber to hire a law firm to investigate its 2014 Rape Case
Uber Technologies Inc has recently hired a law firm to investigate the medical records of an Indian woman who was raped by an Uber driver in 2014. Uber has grown as $68 billion global ride service from startup in less than 10 years. Kalanick has set the tone of a company that challenged laws and norms to succeed but confidence in Kalanick had been strained this year by claims of sexual harassment and benefiting from trade secrets stolen from self-driving car technology from Alphabet Inc’s Waymo.
The law firm O’Melveny & Myers LLP, which is in the early stages of the probe, was hired by the ride service after employees gave contradictory accounts of how Uber obtained the medical records will now be exploring whether former Chief Executive Travis Kalanick knew how Uber came into possession of the records. The probe was likely one reason the board turned against Kalanick, who stepped down. Travis Kalanick and Uber declined to comment, and O’Melveny & Myers did not respond to a request for comment. The investigation is ongoing and has not reached any conclusions on whether Uber improperly obtained the records. Reuters has no evidence that bribery occurred.
The rape victim has sued Uber recently of improperly obtaining and sharing her medical records. The suit said former Uber Asia chief Eric Alexander met with Delhi police that shortly after the rape occurred, and intentionally obtained plaintiff’s confidential medical records. The rapist was convicted in 2015.
Kalanick and Alexander are the 2 executives who had discussed obtaining the victim’s records as they had suspected the rape might have been fabricated by an Uber rival to damage the company. Uber had fired Alexander earlier this month.
Further, Alexander showed the medical files to colleagues in New Delhi more than once. Wilson, Alexander’s spokeswoman said that Alexander believed the victim was raped and never expressed the view that it was a set up.
A Delhi police spokesman did not answer phone calls from Reuters.
Kalanick has resigned as chief executive, though he would remain on the board of Uber, accepting the investors’ request to step aside so that Uber can go back to building rather than be distracted with another fight.
