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Will Astronomer HR chief Kristin Cabot serve resignation after Andy Byron's exit?
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kristin Cabot were caught cuddling at Coldplay’s concert at Gillette Stadium near Boston.
On Wednesday night, Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kristin Cabot were caught cuddling at Coldplay’s concert at Gillette Stadium near Boston. Neither Byron, who is married, nor Cabot, who is reportedly divorced, has publicly addressed the viral scandal.
Cabot's role as head of HR, the department typically in charge of workplace relationships, only makes the situation worse, according to employment lawyers, according to a New York Post report.
Also Read: Morgan Wallen calls his concert a ‘safe place’ for ‘side chicks’ amid Coldplay scandal
Is Kristin Cabot next to get fired?
Employment lawyer William Cafaro, who is co-counsel at New York-based Buzin Law, said, “It’s horrible because she is the head of HR! She’s involved in an extramarital affair with the CEO. Basically, how much worse of an HR faux pas could you commit?”
Cafaro added, “The only way it could be worse is if the head of HR was having an affair with someone who worked for her. That’s the only permutation I could think of that could be worse — but this is pretty high up there.”
Cafaro said it's almost certain that Cabot will be removed from her position. He explained, “I would say she’s just about certain to be removed from her position, because how can you have someone in HR who is having an affair with the CEO imposing or making disciplinary decisions over any other employees. That’s ludicrous.”
Also Read: Kristin Cabot to resign after Andy Byron? Astronomer's latest update on Coldplay ‘kiss cam’ saga
On Saturday, the Astronomer announced Byron's resignation. The company said in a statement. "Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted.”
The statement added, “The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO.”
Lawyers weigh in on the Byron and Cabot situation
Helen Rella, an employment lawyer at Wilk Auslander, said other outcomes are still unclear and will depend on Astronomer’s ethics rules and fraternization policy.
She explained, “As I tell my own clients, your friends today could be your enemy tomorrow. You never know when an employment issue could arise where somebody might be subject for termination or for disciplinary action.”
“And when there’s an instance where somebody in a supervisory position is involved with somebody underneath them, there could potentially be a claim that they were being targeted. Not that that’s true, but that’s one avenue of potential exposure for the company.”
It’s unclear if Astronomer organized the Coldplay outing, which could raise more legal questions under Massachusetts law if considered a company-related event, Rella added.
