A former TikTok executive sues the company, alleging gender and age discrimination

A former TikTok executive is alleging she was retaliated against and fired from her position because the company’s China-based owners determined she “lacked the docility and meekness” required of female employees. Katie Puris, who was the Global Head of Brand & Creative at TikTok, said in a complaint filed this week in a Manhattan federal court that she was fired in 2022 after making internal complaints about age and gender discrimination. Both TikTok and its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance, which is listed as a defendant, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.