But in October 2019, the company was notified that Mr. Easterbrook had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a McDonald’s employee. Mr. Easterbrook assured the company’s outside investigators that he had never engaged in a sexual relationship with an employee. If Mr. Easterbrook was fired for cause, he would have to relinquish previously awarded compensation, including stock options that he was not yet eligible to cash in. Last month, after McDonald’s received the anonymous tip alleging that Mr. Easterbrook had had a sexual relationship with another employee, the company opened a new investigation. And Mr. Easterbrook, according to McDonald’s lawsuit, had deleted certain emails from his phone.

Source: New York Times August 10, 2020 13:05 UTC