Gravity Payments CEO Dan Price Pleads Not Guilty, Still Gets Anti-Harassment Protection Order

Gravity Payments CEO, an executive from a credit card company known for a previous decision to give all its employees a raise in their annual salary, is now facing misdemeanor charges in court. Dan Price recently appeared at a virtual hearing in Seattle Municipal Court, where his legal team pleaded not guilty to the case, where he still got an anti-harassment protection order.

Gravity Payments CEO, Dan Price, Appears in an Online Arraignment

Seattle-based CEO Dan Price now faces charges against him regarding a fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation, focusing on a harassment case as per the Seattle Times. Now, the Seattle Municipal Court asked the CEO to appear in a video conference trial case for an online arraignment, where Price's legal team pleaded "not guilty."

Allegedly, there was a woman that he dated in January, which he tried to "forcibly kiss" without consent, and the person did not want his advances. Price also faces charges regarding reckless driving in this lawsuit filed against him by the person.

According to Global News Canada, Price met the woman at a restaurant near Capitol Hill, and the reason for the meetup was to discuss professional matters and not a romantic date.

Dan Price Lawsuit: What is Happening on the Case?

Allegedly, the Gravity Payments CEO sexually harassed the woman and grabbed her throat when she refused to kiss Price during his advancements. He then drove around hastily with his Tesla electric vehicle, with which he did "doughnuts" in a parking lot.

There was a previous charge against Price that was dropped, also focusing on misdemeanor assault with sexual motivation, says Judge Andrea Chin.

Price is known for raising the minimum salary of employees from $48,000 to $70,000 a year.

Lawsuits Against Alleged Misconduct

There are many lawsuits in the current technology landscape against alleged misconduct of employees and executives to people within the company, and it gives a bad name to the tech company which they represent. There was once a case within Tesla that an employee raised against the company regarding racial abuse to which the company needed to settle for $15 million.

There is another controversial lawsuit in crimes that threaten the safety of a worker, and it is with Activision Blizzard, the famous gaming company that recently sold its company to Microsoft. Here, female employees came together to launch a case against its executives that used their position for sexual gain and harassed employees, according to the lawsuit.

Executives sometimes forget that despite their power and influence over the public, they still need to uphold a high standard of restraint and good behavior when they address people they meet from within the company or outside. In Price's case, it is still unproven if he did what the case and the shreds of evidence against him are true, and he would have to face it all until proven guilty otherwise.

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Written by Isaiah Richard