Former Insight Partners vice president Katherine “Kate” Lowry filed an employment lawsuit in San Mateo County on December 30, 2025, alleging gender and disability discrimination, retaliation, unequal pay and wrongful termination. Insight has denied the allegations. A federal judge sent the case back to state court on March 26, 2026; that procedural ruling did not decide whether either side’s claims are true.
What Lowry alleges
According to TechCrunch’s account of the complaint, Lowry began working at Insight in 2022 after roles at Meta, McKinsey & Company and an early-stage startup. She alleges that the supervisor assigned to her differed from the person discussed during hiring, that the supervisor demanded availability during leave and extended hours, and that she was restricted from participating in calls while being assigned administrative work. TechCrunch’s January 2026 report describes these as allegations in the complaint, not established findings.
TechCrunch reported that Lowry alleges she took medical leave from February to July 2023, later took another leave after a concussion, returned near the end of 2024, and raised compensation concerns. She says her 2024 compensation was about 30% below market. That comparison is her allegation as reported by TechCrunch; it is not a verified wage-gap statistic about Insight or the venture-capital industry.
Lowry alleges that Insight terminated her employment in May 2025. She has publicly criticized workplace practices in venture capital, saying, as quoted by TechCrunch, “too many powerful, wealthy people in venture act like it’s OK to break the law and systemically underpay and abuse their employees.” Her statement is her view, not a court conclusion.
#1 Best Overall
Insight’s response
Bloomberg Law reported in January 2026 that Insight called the allegations “baseless” and said the complaint paints a false picture of its workplace and employment practices, not reflecting the organization’s culture, values or conduct. Bloomberg Law’s report provides the firm’s position. The materials available do not show a ruling on the underlying claims.
Case timeline and court status
| Date | Reported event |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Lowry began working at Insight, according to TechCrunch. |
| December 30, 2025 | Lowry filed suit in San Mateo County Superior Court, case number 25-CIV-10151, according to TechCrunch and the plaintiff-side release. |
| January 13, 2026 | Insight removed the case to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, where it was docketed as 3:2026cv00368. |
| February 4–25, 2026 | Lowry sought remand on February 4; defendants opposed on February 18, and Lowry replied on February 25, according to the docket listing. |
| March 26, 2026 | The federal judge granted Lowry’s motion to remand, returning the case to state court. |
| April 22–23, 2026 | The docket listing records receipt from San Mateo Superior Court on April 22 and federal case termination on April 23. The listing was last retrieved April 23, 2026. |
Remand determines where the case proceeds; it is not a decision about discrimination, retaliation, pay or termination. The available docket listing is a third-party record and does not establish what happened in state court after April 23, 2026. The case should not be described as currently active, settled, dismissed or decided without a more recent official state-court record.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the complaint asks for
Altair Law, Lowry’s counsel, said the complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive relief, attorneys’ fees and a jury trial. These are remedies requested by the plaintiff, not damages awarded by a court. The firm’s press release is a plaintiff-side account of the filing.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
