A former employee has filed a lawsuit against her previous employer, alleging a series of discriminatory practices and wrongful termination. The complaint was filed by Sahiti Surapaneni in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, on March 21, 2025, against Ketch Kloud, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
The case centers around Surapaneni's employment with Ketch Kloud from January 2022 to September 2023. During this period, she alleges that she was subjected to a hostile work environment based on sex/gender discrimination. The complaint details several incidents involving the company's Chief Revenue Officer, Gautam Kher, who allegedly made inappropriate comments and decisions that adversely affected Surapaneni's career. One notable incident occurred in February 2023 when Kher reportedly made an explicit comment about his personal life during a company gathering in Washington D.C., leaving Surapaneni uncomfortable. She claims there was no human resources team to report such behavior formally.
Surapaneni further accuses Kher of undermining her professional contributions and discriminating against her by not recognizing her efforts compared to her male colleagues. She states that despite having the highest closed annual contract value (ACV) in the first quarter of 2023, her commission was paid incorrectly and without clarity on changes to her compensation plan. In June 2023, after reporting gender discrimination to her supervisor Johne Brennan—who allegedly acknowledged Kher's behavior—Surapaneni faced retaliation through an unjustified Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) and eventual termination.
The lawsuit cites multiple violations including the California Fair Pay Act, retaliation under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), failure to prevent discrimination, negligent hiring and supervision, wrongful termination in violation of public policy, and unfair business practices. Surapaneni seeks compensatory damages for emotional distress and economic losses as well as punitive damages for what she describes as willful misconduct by Ketch Kloud.
In addition to financial compensation, Surapaneni requests injunctive relief to prevent further unlawful practices by the defendant. She also demands penalties under California's Unfair Competition Law for each violation committed by Ketch Kloud.
Representing Sahiti Surapaneni are attorneys Cecilia N. Brennan and S. Cody Reinberg from HKM Employment Attorneys LLP. The case is identified under Case No. CGC-25-623506 in the Superior Court of California.