What's happening for Massachusetts business owners suing eBay, ex-employees for harassment

BOSTON - A Natick couple harassed and terrorized by former eBay employees and contractors in 2019 will finally have their day in court.

U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris has scheduled Ina and David Steiner's federal civil suit for March 3, 2025.

The Steiners, in July of 2021, filed a 12-count civil suit in the U.S. District Court in Boston against Bay, Inc., Progressive F.O.R.C.E. Concepts LLC, former eBay CEO Devin Weing, former eBay Vice President Steve Wymer and several others involved in eBay’s security department, including James Baugh, David Harville, Brian Gilbert, Stephanie Popp, Stephanie Stockwell, Veronica Zea and Philip Cooke, as well as a John and Jane Doe.

The Steiners, in their lawsuit, said they run an e-commerce website called EcommerceBytes, which they said wrote what eBay considered negative articles about the online auction site, angering executives.

The executives, Weing and Wymer, angry at the Steiners, gave Baugh instructions to stop them from writing about eBay.

Here's what happened in criminal court: Natick couple harassed by eBay execs

Baugh was the head of the securities for eBay and several of his direct and indirect reports - Gilbert, Harville, Popp, Stockwell, Zea and Cooke - then began harassing the Natick couple, according to the lawsuit.

The harassment began with online bullying on Twitter but progressed to the eBay employees mailing live spiders and roaches to the Steiners, as well as a pig fetus, a bloody pig mask, and a book about dealing with the death of a spouse, according to the lawsuit.

They also mailed embarrassing items to neighbors, claiming it was items for the Steiners, as well as posting ads for late-night sex meetups at the Steiner's home in Natick.

How to watch the Steiner's story: Natick couple was terrorized by U.S. tech giant. They spoke out on '60 Minutes'

Natick Police, after a lengthy investigation and the assistance of federal authorities, arrested and charged Baugh, Harville, Gilbert, Popp, Stockwell, Zea and Cooke for their roles in the harassment. All later pleaded guilty to various charges and received separate sentences.

Along with the trial date, Saris set several other dates for the case. Both sides must file a statement with a proposed pretrial agenda by Sept. 14 and there will be a summary judgment hearing on Dec. 5, 2024. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2025.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Natick couple suing Ebay, ex-employees for harassment get trial date