Why HR exec Kristin Cabot, in Coldplay concert – Business News
The Astronomer HR exec allegedly caught canoodling with CEO Andy Byron at a Coldplay concert final week seems to nonetheless have her job — even after Byron was pressured to swiftly resign over the scandal.
Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot is on depart, however hasn’t been publicly given the boot over legal responsibility considerations, legal specialists mentioned — and it’s not really easy to dump staff simply because of “ugly” headlines.
Cabot’s destiny on the New York-based information science company remains to be murky — although employment legal professionals additionally threw cold water on any attainable sexual harassment case or comparable claims.
Former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron was caught dancing with the company’s Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot on digital camera at a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. final week. instaagraace/TikTok
“In a real-world big company, you can’t just fire someone because the headlines are ugly,” mentioned lawyer Nicole Brenecki.
“There are seemingly contracts, inside investigations, and legal points concerned.
“If HR greenlit what happened with Coldplay, and there is a supporting paper trail, heads will likely roll. It just might take a few more days before the axe drops.”
Cabot, who took the job in November 2024 grew to become one half of a viral public scandal when she and Byron had been referred to as out by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin on the jumbotron on the show at Gillette Stadium exterior Boston.
Astronomer later publicly confirmed an investigation into the incident is underway.
Cabot was positioned on depart by the company after the video of the 2 executives went viral. Maud Cabot/Facebook
Both Byron and Cabot seem like married to different people, in accordance with social media posts — including a layer to the scandal.
An e mail to Astronomer looking for remark on Cabot’s job standing was not returned Monday, although the new interim CEO weighed in on the scandal online.
Here is the most recent on the CEO caught dishonest on a Coldplay concert jumbotron
Pete DeJoy, the company’s co-founder, mentioned in a LinkedIn post the immense consideration “has been uncommon and surreal for Astronomer employees.
“While I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name,” DeJoy mentioned.
Byron resigned days after the footage got here out. LinkedIn/Andy Byron
“The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies – let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world – ever encounter,” he added.
Another employment lawyer, William Cafaro, steered that booting Cabot can be straightforward, however he suspects the company and her is likely to be wrangling over an exit deal.
“Like if you were to look for a picture of ’cause’ [for firing] in the dictionary, it would show a picture of the head of HR having a public affair with the CEO of the company,” he informed The Post.
He added that it’s “difficult to conceive” how she may proceed in her present function.
Attorney Douglas Wigdor theorized there might be more particulars in regards to the relationship that the public isn’t aware of. He mentioned that might be a issue in why Cabot has not publicly left the company.
Additionally, the outcomes of the inner probe may decide what the company in the end does with Cabot, Wigdor added.
“Maybe there’s more to the story from her,” the founding companion of Wigdor LLP mentioned. “That’s definitely possible about how it came to be that they’re at this concert and they’re embracing. It’s a short video so it’s hard to know what exactly is going on.”
Legal specialists additionally doubted she may deliver ahead a declare of sexual harassment, regardless that Byron was her superior.
“Unless she was pressured into the relationship because of a power imbalance, there’s not much of a case,” Brenecki mentioned.
The Post’s cowl on the notorious Coldplay concert video.
“If it was consensual… a sexual harassment suit would be a stretch. In fact, a jury might laugh it out of court. Being embarrassed on a jumbotron isn’t the same as being harassed at work.”
Wigdor echoed that sentiment – although he again cautioned it was primarily based on restricted info.
“She’d have to demonstrate their relationship was unwanted and I think based off what I’ve seen would be difficult,” he mentioned.
