(Twitter)
Urban Airship CEO Scott Kveton has stepped down in the wake of a sexual assault accusation. Kveton reportedly had a “50 Shades of Grey”-style relationship with his ex-girlfriend, who says Kveton raped her. Here’s what you need to know about Kveton, his business, and the ongoing investigation into his relationships with women.
1. Scott Kveton Is Accused of Assaulting His Girlfriend
(Twitter)
Scott Kveton’s ex-girlfriend has accused him of sexual assault. The assaults are believed to have taken place in 2012 and 2013. According to the Oregonian, the woman also filed complaints in 2010 and 2011, but Kveton was not charged. The Oregonian writes:
“It’s a complicated case and a complicated relationship. Kveton and his accuser kept returning to one another, year after year, despite the police reports and court filings and allegations…
The relationship began in 2008, the year before Urban Airship launched, and stretched over five years into 2013. Kveton’s accuser told detectives that she met him online and that they began a sexual relationship at a time when both were married to other people, according to a Beaverton police report…
The first accusation involves an early Monday morning in February 2010, shortly after Kveton had moved out of the woman’s home…She went to sleep on a couch while Kveton slept upstairs. At some point, she told police, he texted to ask her to join him. When she declined, she said, Kveton came downstairs and raped her.”
The Oregonian’s report notes that the police have access to Kveton’s texts, emails and online chats with the woman. One message in the correspondence shows the couple comparing their relationship to 50 Shades of Grey. Kveton’s ex also says that Kveton filmed their sexual encounters without her consent.
The girlfriend is being referred to as Jane Doe in court documents, and has filed a $3.3 million civil suit against Kveton. According to The Oregonian, the woman’s name is being kept quiet in order to protect her privacy in the wake of the alleged sexual assault.
According to the Portland Business Journal, the Washington County District Attorney’s Office won’t pursue charges against Scott Kveton related to 2010 allegations.
2. Scott Kveton Was the Co-Founder & CEO of Urban Airship
(Urban Airship)
In the wake of these allegations against Kveton becoming public, Kveton opted to take “an extended leave of absence” from Urban Airship. The mobile marketing company is based in Portland, Oregon. Urban Airship states that they provide “the smartest, most aware, precise, easy-to-use, scalable, secure and powerful push messaging platform on the planet.”
Last year, the company raised $25 million in funding. Urban Airship’s Crunchbase profile shows that the company employs 165 people, and has secured a total of $46.6 million in funding.
3. Scott Kveton’s Case Will Go Before a Grand Jury
You can learn more about Urban Airship in the audio clip above.
At first, it wasn’t clear whether Scott Kveton’s case might go before a grand jury. Oregon Live reports that Portland Mayor Charlie Hales had previously announced the case was going to be scheduled to go before a grand jury. However, hours after that statement was made, a spokesman for the mayor said that wasn’t actually the case:
“Our office contacted the (Multnomah County) district attorney after the city council meeting and they are discussing it. They haven’t scheduled it for grand jury,” said spokesman Dana Haynes, adding that a staffer gave the mayor unclear notes. “It’s still under consideration and it’s not appropriate to comment on it.”
Now, however, the case has finally been scheduled to go before a grand jury. According to the Oregonian, the case could go before a grand jury “as soon as early September.” The same report also noted that Deputy District Attorney Traci Anderson was beginning to “consider the schedule of the grand jurors and coordinate witnesses.”
4. Kveton’s Attorney Has Issued a Statement
Proud to see our fearless leader @kveton & his entrepreneurial passion profiled in Forbes http://t.co/S8afhT2Em6 pic.twitter.com/bhGrBYlD9m
— Urban Airship (@urbanairship) June 26, 2014
Scott Kveton, a father of two, has hired Stephen Houze (incorrectly reported as “Houzer” by some outlets) to represent him. Houzer told reporters:
“I would ask the media and public to accord Mr. Kveton the presumption of innocence that is the cornerstone of our system of American justice, a concept that can be so easily destroyed by the sensational reporting of salacious and unproven allegations.”
Houze’s website states that he is a criminal defense lawyer with 35 years of experience.
5. Scott Kveton Is Not the Only Tech CEO Accused of Sexual Misconduct
(Getty)
In recent months, a number of other tech CEO’s have been at the center of sex scandals or domestic violence cases. Former RadiumOne CEO ‘G’ Chahal (pictured above) recently plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges after being accused of abusing his girlfriend. He was ordered by a court to take a domestic violence course. Chahal was fired by RadiumOne after the court case.
Additionally, Tinder’s Whitney Wolfe recently accused Tinder CEO Sean Rad of using sexist language and ignoring her sexual harassment claims about Tinder co-worker Justin Mateen.
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Scott Kveton: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know