eBay Settles with Massachusetts Couple Over Harassment Claims
eBay has agreed to pay approximately $50 million to a couple from Massachusetts, David and Ina Steiner, who reported being harassed by former employees of the company. They faced strange and threatening anonymous deliveries, including live insects, funeral wreaths, and even a bloody pig Halloween mask. Details of the settlement were announced on Tuesday.
In February, both parties had indicated that they were close to a settlement before the case approached trial, but things fell through. Eventually, the Steiners requested a trial date in June but secured a new settlement this month.
The agreement not only compensates the Steiners but also includes an additional $7 million for charitable organizations that advocate for First Amendment rights and similar causes.
Interestingly, the settlement does not include a confidentiality clause, giving the Steiners the freedom to discuss the events publicly. Ina Steiner commented via email, stating that they both agreed it was important for the matter to be transparent, hoping it would prevent future incidents. She expressed hope that it might deter similar harassment.
This settlement concludes over six years of litigation regarding a campaign of harassment the couple endured.
The Steiners filed their lawsuit in 2021, alleging that eBay had conspired to “blackmail, threaten to kill, torture, terrorize, stalk, and muzzle them” to suppress their reporting about the company.
Escalating Threats
Ina Steiner detailed how the harassment began with menacing messages on social media but quickly escalated to bizarre deliveries, such as live cockroaches and spiders, along with funeral wreaths and macabre decorations. There were also plans to send inappropriate materials addressed to David to their neighbors and install tracking devices in their cars.
Initially, she was completely baffled about who was behind this wave of intimidation and why it was happening. “It was unfathomable that companies I had covered for two decades were trying to silence us,” she reflected.
When the lawsuit was initiated, eBay admitted that the actions of those involved were wrong and promised to address the situation appropriately.
On Tuesday, eBay reiterated its regret, stating that the harassment faced by the Steiners in 2019 was unacceptable. The company acknowledged unprofessional conduct among some of its former executives and emphasized that such behavior did not represent eBay’s values. They have since made leadership changes and improved policies and ethics training to prevent future issues.
Back in 2020, federal authorities charged seven former eBay employees for orchestrating this harassment campaign, sparked by the couple’s critical coverage in their newsletter. Many of the accused accepted plea deals for various charges and faced penalties, including prison time.
As for eBay, they agreed to a $3 million criminal penalty in 2024 as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with federal regulators.
A Painful Journey
The settlement allocates $48.7 million in damages, with $46.15 million from eBay, $2 million from former CEO Devin Wenig, and smaller amounts from other executives involved. Additionally, eBay will contribute $6 million to nonprofits, while Wenig will donate $1 million to a First Amendment charity in Ina’s name.
Christopher Murphy, the Steiner’s attorney, highlighted the significance of the settlements and personal payments from former executives. He remarked that this case aimed to protect journalists and discourage corporate wrongdoing, asserting that it sends a strong message against such behavior.
Ina Steiner expressed a hope that something positive might come from their “painful and life-changing experience.”
