Woman jailed for forging email in Oracle sexual harassment case

A woman who claimed she was sacked just five days after refusing to have sex with Oracle CEO Larry Ellison has been found guilty of forging an email to support her wrongful dismissal suit.

The woman, Adelyn Lee, has been sentenced to a year in prison and must repay the $100,000 she obtained from the company in the suit. Lee sued Oracle in 1993 when she alleged she was sacked straight away after refusing to sleep with Ellison and ending their relationship. Oracle said she was dismissed for ?poor performance?. The company settled out of court, paying Lee $100,000 in return for withdrawing the allegations.

But deputy district attorney Paul Wasserman said last week that Lee, an administrative assistant, got into Oracle?s email system from her home and planted an email saying her boss had carried out a request from Ellison to fire her, to support her case. ?She has done a disservice to every legitimate sexual harassment claim put forth by women who are legitimate victims,? he said.

Superior Court Judge Carl Holm, presiding over the case, told Lee: ?You have stuck a dagger in the heart of the system by your conduct, and you should be severely punished.?

Lee has appealed against the sentence.