When The Sack-ee Hits Back

Simon Negus was working for Dell when Microsoft in England enticed him to join their ranks. Hefty signing bonus, nice office, a promise of long-term employment, and best of all, Mr. Negus was led to believe he'd be first in line for a promotion to head of the entire operation.

Then he was prompted booted out the door for sexual harassment of female employees.

He lost a great deal of income and prestige, did Simon Negus, to say nothing of his reputation.

Competition among the corner office set is fierce and bloody. Mr. Negus was not going to go quietly. He has filed suit against Microsoft for wrongful termination, seeking fifteen years worth of lost wages.

Among Microsoft's reasons for showing Mr. Negus the door is one in which the executive was alleged to have asked a female employee to stand on a chair so that all could see her short skirt. He asked another woman to flutter her eyelashes, and purportedly kissed another sweet young thing at a party in Atlanta.

Even before Microsoft completed an investigation, the head of Britain's Microsoft division, Gordon Frazer,  had mapped out a way to get rid of the man who represented his stiffest competition at the firm. Jean-Philippe Courtois, head of Microsoft International, received an e-mail from Mr. Frazer outlining the steps to be taken, and indicated that he was advertising the position before it was officially open.

What became of Microsoft's investigation? The skirt viewing incident never took place, the young lady was indeed asked to bat her lashes, and the Atlanta lip-lock could not be proved. 

So, in Mr. Negus's mind, the whole scenario was concocted by Mr. Frazer to clear the field and safeguard his position.

The case will play out in the High Court, where the tabloids will have a grand time of it. All the inner secrets and behind-closed-doors activities of Microsoft, the corporate culture of frat boy drunkenness and lewd behavior, is perfect fodder for a public weary of nothing but bad economic news.