Reddit's embattled interim CEO, Ellen Pao, has stepped down from her lead position at the popular social media site, the website announced Friday.
"In my eight months as reddit’s CEO, I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly on reddit. The good has been off-the-wall inspiring, and the ugly made me doubt humanity," Pao wrote in a post on the site.
"I just want to remind everyone that I am just another human; I have a family, and I have feelings. Everyone attacked on reddit is just another person like you and me. When people make something up to attack me or someone else, it spreads, and we eventually will see it. And we will feel bad, not just about what was said. Also because it undercuts the authenticity of reddit and shakes our faith in humanity."
The announcement was made through a post from Sam Altman, a Reddit board member. Atlman also announced Pao's replacement: Reddit's co-founder and original CEO Steve Huffman.
"Ellen Pao resigned from reddit today by mutual agreement. I'm delighted to announce that Steve Huffman, founder and the original reddit CEO, is returning as CEO. We are thankful for Ellen’s many contributions to reddit and the technology industry generally. She brought focus to chaos, recruited a world-class team of executives, and drove growth," Sam Altman, a Reddit board member, wrote on a Reddit thread.
Last week, multiple sections of Reddit were locked down in protest on July 2 after Victoria Taylor was fired. Taylor was Reddit's former director of talent responsible for the sites' popular AMA (Ask Me Anything) series.
Pao became interim CEO of Reddit in November 2014, replacing Yishan Wong. She received push-back from unhappy users in an effort to make the website more inviting, NBC News reported.
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In May, Pao again drew flak for limiting comments that the site perceived as harassment, then shut down some communities that were seen to be harassing people a month later, according to NBC News.
As part of its commitment to gender equality, Reddit doesn't take part in salary negotiations with job candidates, Pao revealed in an April Wall Street Journal interview that drew some criticism.
"She brought a face to reddit that changed perceptions, and is a pioneer for women in the tech industry. She will remain as an advisor to the board through the end of 2015. I look forward to seeing the great things she does beyond that," Altman said in the announcement.
The former Reddit leader first made headlines in March 2015 when a jury decided that a venture capital firm Pao had worked for did not discriminate or retaliate against a female employee in a case that debated gender imbalance in the workplace. The lawsuit claimed Pao was fired when she complained about discrimination at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
"I have told my story and thousands of people have heard it. If I helped to level the playing field for women and minorities in venture capital, then the battle was worth it,'' Pao said, adding that she will return to her career, family and friends.
