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The attorney representing 2 staffers alleging misconduct by Mark Zuckerberg's security chief is demanding an independent investigation (FB)

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  • Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's personal security chief Liam Booth has been accused of sexual harassment and racism.
  • The attorney representing the two former staffers making the allegations is now calling for an independent investigation into the claims.
  • Zuckerberg's family office has said its own law firm, Munger, Tolles & Olson, is investigating.
  • High-profile civil rights attorney Lisa Bloom has is "[urging] the family to retain a truly neutral, independent investigator experienced in harassment and discrimination."
  • Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

The attorney representing two former staffers for Mark Zuckerberg that accused the Facebook CEO's personal security chief of sexual harassment and making racist remarks is now calling for an indepdendent investigation into the allegations.

In a statement provided to Business Insider, high-profile civil rights lawyer Lisa Bloom, head of The Bloom Firm, said: "We urge the family to retain a truly neutral, independent investigator experienced in harassment and discrimination claims to make factual findings and recommendations on these urgent and important claims."

The allegations against Liam Booth, a former secret service agent now tasked with heading up protection of the billionaire family, include sexual battery, transphobia, and making racist remarks about Zuckerberg's Asian-American wife, Priscilla Chan. The claims were laid out by The Bloom Firm in legal documents demanding damages that were subsequently obtained by Business Insider. The two former staffers are asking for damages, and allege that nothing was done after they raised concerns internally at Zuckerberg's family office.

In response, Ben LaBolt, a spokesperson for Zuckerberg's family office, said that it "takes complaints of workplace misconduct very seriously and our human resources team promptly investigates all such matters." The law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson, which represents the family office LLCs, is currently conducting an investigation, he added, "to determine whether the claims have merit." Booth has been placed on adminstrative leave during this investigation.

This, however, is not enough for The Bloom Firm, which is now calling for an independent investigator that doesn't have ties ties to the family to conduct an investigation into the matter.

"As far as we know, no independent investigation is underway. Instead, a large defense law firm is defending against our clients' allegations. Attorneys are ethically bound to defend their clients," Bloom wrote.

Ben LaBolt did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on Bloom's request.

Zuckerberg's personal affairs are managed by a discreet network of LLCs and organisations; one handles his personal security (Facebook also provides some security for its CEO), while another employs household staffers and keeps his domestic affairs running. Booth is the head of security for this family office, as well as for the philanthropic Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Here is Lisa Bloom's statement in full:

"I am proud to represent the two individuals who have raised claims. As far as we know, no independent investigation is underway. Instead, a large defense law firm is defending against our clients' allegations. Attorneys are ethically bound to defend their clients. We urge the family to retain a truly neutral, independent investigator experienced in harassment and discrimination claims to make factual findings and recommendations on these urgent and important claims."

We have no further comment at this time."

Read Business Insider's original story on the allegations against Liam Booth, Mark Zuckerberg's private security chief »

Got a tip? Contact this reporter via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (650) 636-6268 using a non-work phone, email at rprice@businessinsider.com, Telegram or WeChat at robaeprice, or Twitter DM at @robaeprice. (PR pitches by email only, please.) You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

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