24-year-old gets chastised by boss for calling out mansplaining colleague interrupting her presentation: 'When I stand up for myself, I'm creating drama'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Apr 29, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

It is an unfortunate truth that even in this day and age, there can be specific difficulties with being a woman in the workplace. While the ideologically brainwashed tradwives of the world may be wrong in their belief that a woman's only place is the home, the observation that an office can be an uncomfortable place to be female is not inaccurate. Not to get too Sheryl Sandberg, but adapting to this is sometimes a struggle.

For a woman who feels like she is being discriminated against in the workplace because of her gender, it can sometimes feel difficult to address it. On the one hand, it can prohibit somebody from doing their job properly, but on the other, some work environments will punish speaking up. It can make a situation that is already annoying turn into a real dilemma. It is not something that anybody wants to deal with, if they can help it.

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  • 01

    AITA for publicly calling out my coworker's mansplaining during my presentation?

    1 (24F) work at a tech startup where most of my colleagues are men. I've been here for 2 years and while I love my job, it hasn't been easy being one of the few women in a male-dominated space. Last week, we had a team meeting about our upcoming project. I spent weeks researching and preparing my presentation. When I started speaking, my coworker (30sM) kept interrupting me with "actually" and "well, technically" comments. Every. Single. Time. This guy has a history of mansplaining to female col
    via Entire_Technology14

  • One startup employee found herself in a similarly awkward situation when a colleague continually interrupted her presentation at work. She had previously spoken with this coworker privately about the way she felt he mansplained, and she had had enough with the behavior. She warned him in front of their colleagues that she would start a tally if he continued to interrupt her. The coworker was embarrassed, and her boss told her that her behavior was unacceptable, but she wanted to know if other people thought that was the case.

  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10499630336
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 03
    So halfway through my presentation, when he interrupted me for the 5th time to "correct" something that wasn't even wrong, I stopped everything and said, "If you interrupt me one more time, I'm going to start a tally on the whiteboard of how many times you've done it, and we can all analyze the pattern after the meeting." The room went de d silent. My boss looked uncomfortable but didn't say anything. The guy turned bright red and stayed quiet for the rest of my presentation.
    via Entire_Technology14
  • 04
    Afterward, some female colleagues quietly thanked me, saying they'd experienced the same thing. But my boss pulled me aside and said while he understood my frustration, I "embarrassed a team member" and should have handled it privately. Here's the thing - I've tried private conversations TWICE before with this guy, and nothing changed. My male colleagues interrupt each other all the time without consequences, but when I stand up for myself, I'm "creating drama."
    via Entire_Technology14
  • 05
    My boss suggested I apologize, but I refused. Now there's tension in the office, and I'm wondering if I went too far. AITA for calling out my mansplaining coworker in front of everyone?
    via Entire_Technology14
  • 06
    team work Leader 00 innovation strategy (Competency Successful Development Positive Creative Idea (think out- of the box, open ond
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 07

    Most people supported her point of view.

    LimitlessMegan NTA. I'd respond to my boss and say, "I have addressed this privately with him, twice. I'm sure the other women have too. As the manager of both of us it was absolutely within your power to handle and stop the behaviour in a way that wasn't embarrassing for anyone, why have you been making the choice to continue to let him embarrass or degrade us with these interruptions and when I finally did what I needed to to make it stop (because you didn't) why are you choosing to chastise m
    via LimitlessMegan
  • 08
    flippysquid Do it in writing and CC HR.
    via flippysquid
  • 09
    cosmopolite24 Second this! End the email with: "Happy to sit down with you one on one or with other female colleagues to discuss how you can create a better team culture where women can participate equally." Also, calling it "creating drama" is equally sexiest and inappropriate.
    via cosmopolite24
  • 10
    SuggestionMedical736 Next time, say, keep comments and questions for the end of the presentation. Then they have no choice but to shut the f NTA.
    via SuggestionMedical736
  • 11
    miyuki_m Your coworker treated you like you weren't competent, and you defended yourself because your boss failed to do so. NTA. Tell him you want an apology from the coworker for embarrassing you by interrupting you and mansplaining at you in front of the rest of the team. Maybe you need to go over his head since he doesn't even seem to recognize the problem.
    via miyuki_m
  • 12
    TararaBoomDA Next time you present anything, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do start that talley. And encourage all your female colleagues to do exactly the same thing. Because I think it's exactly what is called for when faced with this kind of masculine sabotage.
    via TararaBoomDA
  • 13
    big_bob_c NTA. I would tell your boss "I have attempted to handle this privately, he was unwilling or unable to refrain from interrupting me. Since he stopped after I called him out in public, he obviously is able to refrain, and was unwilling to do so. You may want to discuss this with him privately, and determine exactly why he has always felt this behavior was acceptable in the past."
    via big_bob_c
  • 14
    kilgirlie If you do apologize make sure it's something appropriate like I'm sorry my reaction to your ride behavior made you uncomfortable. ΝΤΑ
    via kilgirlie
  • 15
    ambrose-and-thorns LOVE this non-apology! Very much in the spirit of "I'm sorry if what I said was mean". Like B1tc#, you know it is, sit in your mess lol.
    via ambrose-and-thorns
  • 16
    Groovy YaYa Do you have the approximate dates of the times you spoke with him privately? I'd document those and let your boss know. Time to create a CYA file - and not on the work computer. (or at least CC yourself or BC yourself with a private email if it isn't against the rules. If it is - pdf copies and handwritten notes.
    via GroovyYaYa
  • 17
    Grouchyscorpio So, it's okay for him to ridicule you? But not for you to stand up for yourself? Time to look for another job where you are valued.
    via Grouchyscorpio
  • 18
    Oellaatje NTA. And well done for calling him out. You didn't go too far, you went far enough.
    via Oellaatje
  • 19
    wacky_spaz God I love a good mansplainer. I work with one or more specifically his boss reports to me. Last time he tried to 'explain' how systems | manage operate when one of the girls I just hired who's literally a graduate nervous AF and stressed was presenting I kinda did what you did but ruder ... 'mate, I don't need you explaining how a system I own and manage works. She wrote the pack, I approved it and if you got feedback send it direct to me and kindly dial it down'
    via wacky_spaz
  • 20
    bookwormsolaris YOU embarrassed a teamworker? As though what he was doing isn't humiliating to be on the receiving end of? ΝΤΑ
    via bookwormsolaris
  • 21
    4ckack The biggest offender in this story is this "boss" character. It's their responsibility to foster a proper work environment for their team members so they can feel respected. Somewhere along the way, these interruptions during presentations were allowed out of complacency. Gender is a side plot here, as there is no good reason why anyone should have to deal with interruptions while trying to present their work. This entire issue could have been avoided if there were policies that ensured e
    via 4ckack
  • 22
    I cannot stress this enough: the only person responsible for giving an apology is the boss and anybody else on the management team that has allowed this disrespectful behavior to plague their workplace and professional meetings.
    via 4ckack
  • 23
    EntertainmentClean99 NTA next time hand him the remote, tell him clearly he knows the material best so we could just save time if he presents it.
    via EntertainmentClean99
  • 24
    ZaelDaemon Us women in tech all have these stories. I doubt your boss even noticed it happening. Don't apologise. Since it's a tech startup. Next time gamify it: the first person to interrupt buys lunch. Or The person who interrupts the most gets to buy the whole team drinks. Write it on the white board at the start of the meeting. Also take a tally, at every meeting. Not on the board but in a notepad. Never bounce ideas of this person because he'll take credit for them.
    via ZaelDaemon

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terrible coworkers work coworkers feminism workplace women management aita reddit thread Reddit boss employee manager presentation
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