The Chief People Officer of Astronomer, Kristin Cabot, who was purportedly caught in a compromising embrace with CEO Andy Byron during a Coldplay concert last week, appears to have retained her position despite Byron's swift resignation amidst the scandal. According to legal experts, Cabot has not been publicly terminated due to potential liability concerns, emphasizing that dismissing an employee solely based on unflattering headlines is far from straightforward.
The fate of Cabot, who joined the New York-based data science company in November 2024, remains uncertain. Employment lawyers have poured cold water on any potential sexual harassment claims, noting the complexities involved in such cases. "In the realm of large corporations, one cannot summarily dismiss an individual solely due to negative headlines," emphasized attorney Nicole Brenecki. "Contracts, internal inquiries, and legal ramifications are typically at play."
She continued, "If HR approved Cabot's actions at the Coldplay concert and there's documentation to support it, heads may eventually roll, but it could take a few more days before the axe falls."
Cabot's involvement in the viral scandal was exposed when she and Byron were publicly outed by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin on the jumbotron at Gillette Stadium near Boston. The incident has sparked an ongoing investigation by Astronomer. Adding a layer of intrigue, social media posts suggest both Byron and Cabot are married to other people.
Astronomer did not respond to an email inquiry regarding Cabot's employment status on Monday. However, the company's interim CEO, Pete DeJoy, weighed in on the scandal via LinkedIn. He described the immense media attention as "unusual and surreal" for Astronomer employees but noted, "While I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name."
Another employment attorney, William Cafaro, suggested that while terminating Cabot might seem straightforward, he speculated that the company and Cabot could be negotiating an exit agreement. "If you were to look up the definition of 'cause' for termination in the dictionary, it would likely depict the head of HR having a public affair with the CEO," he remarked to The Post. He added that it was "difficult to fathom" how she could continue in her current role.
Douglas Wigdor, another attorney, postulated that there could be more to the relationship than the public is aware of, which could influence Cabot's continued presence at the company. He also emphasized that the results of the internal investigation could dictate the company's ultimate decision regarding Cabot. "Maybe there's more to the story from her perspective," Wigdor said. "It's plausible that there are circumstances leading up to their concert embrace that aren't fully captured in the short video."
Legal experts also doubted the viability of a sexual harassment claim by Cabot, given that Byron was her superior. "Unless she can prove she was coerced into the relationship due to a power imbalance, her case would be weak," Brenecki said. "If it was consensual, a sexual harassment suit would be a stretch. In fact, a jury might dismiss it outright. Being embarrassed on a jumbotron doesn't constitute workplace harassment." Wigdor echoed this sentiment, cautioning that it was based on limited information and that Cabot would need to demonstrate that the relationship was unwanted, which he deemed difficult based on what he had seen.
