Zuckerberg of Facebook asks his employees to respect the divergent views of their colleagues

In the week following the hearing, hundreds of Facebook employees complained on internal bulletin boards following Kaplan's appearance at the hearing, at a time when Facebook officials had warned employees to avoid explicit political comments. Other employees, particularly women, said that Kaplan's appearance sent a wrong message to female employees about how leaders envisioned the broader debate on sexual assault and women in the workplace.

More than 600 employees attended the Friday City Hall meeting, and many more were appointed from offices around the world, said the official. Some Facebook employees shared their experiences as survivors of sexual assault and the mood was often intense.

In their remarks to employees, Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said it was important for Facebook to be a place where diverse political and social opinions are not only tolerated but supported. They condemned any form of sexual assault, said the person familiar with these remarks.

But the two leaders also expressed frustration that Kaplan had injected Facebook – under the watchful eye of several regulators around the world – into the power of shaping public discourse – into an unrelated political controversy. other, according to the same person. Zuckerberg and Sandberg said this is particularly problematic given its high visibility in society as global policy maker.

Kaplan, who had previously apologized to his colleagues for inadvertently provoking internal controversy, also spoke briefly Friday by video conference from Washington, DC, according to the person. He emphasized that loyalty to friends such as Judge Kavanaugh was one of his core values, he said.

When asked if he regretted leaving, Mr. Kaplan said it was essential to stand by his friends and could not say if he would have done things differently. Instead, he stated that he regretted not having informed Ms. Sandberg and other senior officials of her plans, said the person familiar with the meeting.

Mr Kaplan 's appearance last week sparked a heated internal discussion within the company, which drew hundreds of employee comments and became a test on the perception of the company' s executives. company about the # MeToo movement, Trump – era politics and freedom of speech and expression. with the material say. The controversy comes at a time of heightened uncertainty among Facebook employees, where morale is faltering after two years of controversy, according to current employees and former employees.

In internal discussions about Kaplan's decision, employees were wondering why a top executive might cause more controversy for Facebook, which had been criticized for a host of problems, including misinformation, foreign manipulation and content violent. Some asked why Mr. Kaplan was not fired.

Ms. Sandberg has previously posted an internal message calling Mr. Kaplan's appearance at the hearing "an error".

Other senior executives, including Andrew Bosworth, and employees wondered why Facebook employees spent so much time debating issues beyond their control, such as the Supreme Court appointment process. Mr. Bosworth and other employees argued that they should focus more on internal issues, including the repercussions of the massive security breach revealed last week, said people familiar with the internal discussions.

Shortly after the end of the public session on Facebook, Senator Susan Collins of Maine said in a speech that she would vote for Justice Kavanaugh. His decision guaranteed that Judge Kavanaugh would have the support needed to be confirmed this weekend.

Write to Deepa Seetharaman at [email protected]