Report: Zuckerberg security chief accused of misconduct

In this Sept. 20, 2016, file photo, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, smile as they prepare for a speech in San Francisco. Liam Booth, the security chief of Zuckerberg and his family, has been accused of sexual misconduct and making racist and homophobic comments about members of his staff and about Zuckerberg’s wife, Chan. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s personal security chief faces accusations of sexual misconduct and making racist and homophobic comments, according to a report Thursday by a business news site.

In a detailed article, Business Insider cited legal letters reportedly written by former employees of Zuckerberg’s household staff. The letters reportedly described pervasive discriminatory conduct and severe levels of sexual harassment and battery, including racist and homophobic comments about members of Zuckerberg’s staff and his wife, Priscilla Chan.

The security chief, Liam Booth, is a former Secret Service officer, according to his LinkedIn profile, and has been with the family’s charitable organization, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, since 2017.

A spokesman from the family office of Zuckerberg and Chan said Booth has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation of unspecified misconduct allegations. The spokesman said the office takes workplace misconduct complaints seriously.

Iconiq Capital, the firm that manages Zuckerberg’s affairs that includes security, did not return a message for comment Thursday. The law firm representing the employees, The Bloom Firm, also did not return a message for comment.

Facebook spent $20 million on security costs for Zuckerberg and his family at his residences and while traveling in 2018, according to a regulatory filing. /jpv