Harvey Weinstein #metoo: Robert Scoble sorry after sex harassment charges

Thousands of women are identifying themselves as victims of sexual harassment or assault following a call to action propelled by Alyssa Milano in the wake of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's downfall over of allegations of sexual misconduct. (Oct. 17) AP

Tech blogger Robert Scoble wears Google Glass at the Dublin web summit being held at the RDS in October 2013. Scoble apologized Friday for sexually harassing women in the tech industry. (Photo: Niall Carson, PA Wire/Press Association Images)

SAN FRANCISCO — #SiliconValleyToo.

Silicon Valley is being rocked by a new wave of sexual harassment charges, this time involving influential technology evangelist Robert Scoble. The claims follow a national uproar over charges that powerful producer Harvey Weinstein for years sexually harassed women in Hollywood and a viral #MeToo movement on social media with women coming forward with their stories of sexual harassment.

Two women stepped forward Thursday to accuse Scoble of sexual harassment and a third said he verbally harassed her.

In an interview with USA TODAY, Scoble apologized for the behavior that he claims occurred when he had a drinking problem. Scoble announced in 2015 that he was entering AA and said he was sexually abused as a child.

"I did some things that are really, really hurtful to the women and I feel ashamed by that," Scoble told USA TODAY. "I have taken many steps to try to get better because I knew some of this was potentially going to come out."

Journalist Quinn Norton accused Scoble of groping her breast and grabbing her buttocks at the annual Foo Camp conference run by O'Reilly Media. She says he also groped and kissed a woman too drunk to consent, prompting other attendees to separate the two. 

Scoble says he does not remember the incidents at Foo Camp. In a Medium post, Quinn said they occurred in the "early 2010s." 

Scoble has a booming presence in the tech world, attracting  a large following on social media with his opinions on technology and the industry. He started his Scobleizer blog in 2000, which became a springboard for roles at a series of technology companies including Microsoft, Rackspace, and most recently, UploadVR, which recently settled a sexual harassment lawsuit with a former employee.

Michelle Greer,  a former colleague of Scoble's at Rackspace, this week accused him of harassing her. She says Scoble groped her in February 2010 at the Startup Riot tech conference in Atlanta. Greer was a senior manager in corporate communications who helped produce content for a Scoble project called "Building 43." 

"I remember seeing him with two drinks in his hand," Greer told BuzzFeed. "My boss sat next to me, and Scoble sits across from me and starts touching my leg."

A couple of days after the conference, Greer says one of Scoble’s producers told her: "I'm so sorry, my employees will never touch you again."

Greer says it disturbed her to see Scoble act as an ally to women in the tech industry on social media. 

"I have always worked with mostly men. They know things should change. If you don't get rid of the bad actors though, nothing changes," she posted on Facebook in July. When Scoble liked her comment, she responded: "You're a bad actor. I can't tell you how awful I felt after working with you. Watching you like this post angered me." He said: "Saying I am sorry isn't enough to undo the harm I have done."

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Even though women outnumber men at the top schools and in the workforce and use the latest gadgets and apps in equal if not greater numbers, they still represent a small fraction of executives, entrepreneurs, investors and engineers. And the tech industry, famous for its bravado about changing the world, still lags behind other industries in its treatment of women, many of whom say they routinely confront sexism in the companies where they work and at the tech conferences they attend.

Silicon Valley's sexual harassment scandal over the summer exposed tales of bad behavior by venture capitalists, two of whom, Dave McClure and Justin Caldbeck, resigned. The removal of two prominent investors sent shock waves through Silicon Valley, where for years there were few consequences for sexist behavior.

Greer says she came forward because women had approached her recently complaining of Scoble's behavior. Scoble told USA TODAY he no longer harassed women after entering AA.

"There are too many talented women who get suppressed because of guys like this. We can't just talk about it at an aggregate level. We have to call these people out," Greer told USA TODAY. "This is why women hate tech. We need more women in tech. We can't afford to have people who can't keep hands to themselves or can't speak respectfully to other people."

Sarah Kunst, the ProDay founder who was one of the women who accused McClure of sexual harassment, says she was "verbally harassed" by Scoble and his wife in 2014 at Dent, an annual conference in Idaho. 

Late Friday, Scoble posted a note on Facebook, apologizing for his behavior.

"I’m deeply sorry to the people I’ve caused pain to. I know I have behaved in ways that were inappropriate. I apologize for that. The question is not if it happened or if anyone got hurt (they did) but how can I do better?" he wrote. " I know that apologies are not enough and that they don’t erase the wrongs of the past or the present. The only thing I can do to really make a difference now is to prove, through my future behavior, and my willingness to listen, learn and change, that I want to become part of the solution going forward."

These are not the first allegations lodged against Scoble. Earlier this year, Scoble apologized after defending the founders of Upload VR over the sexual harassment lawsuit.

"I must admit my own role in sexism in this industry and world," Scoble wrote on Medium at the time. "I am flawed too, and am working to fix those flaws. Have I caused others pain? Yes. Does that make me happy about myself? No. Looking in the mirror is a tough thing."

Norton says she hopes Scoble and the women he harmed get the help they need.

"And I hope that Scoble and the people who helped Scoble perpetrate this violence against the women around him spend their time lifting up the careers of these women, as some small recompense for what they endured in their workplace," she wrote.

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