A lawsuit filed in California on Wednesday names the Waterloo, Ont.-based company and its new CEO, John Giamatteo, in allegations of discrimination, wrongful termination, hostile work environment, and harassment and retaliation based on sex or gender, among other issues. BlackBerry reportedly investigated discrimination claims by three women prior to Giamatteo’s promotion in December. (The Logic, Forbes)

Talking point: The legal complaint says that the plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, was fired two days before Giamatteo became CEO. He allegedly told her after he was named president of the cybersecurity division in October 2021 that she should be nice to him because he could impact her career, asked her to report to him so they could travel together and requested she come to a business dinner that instead turned out to be a date. Three other women separately told Forbes they shared concerns about Giamatteo and gender discrimination. BlackBerry hasn’t yet filed a response to the claims in electronic court databases, and the allegations haven’t been proven in court. BlackBerry told Forbes that its internal investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing, it believes the allegations are meritless and it intends to vigorously defend itself in court.