Codeup co-founders (from left) Chris Turner, Jason Straughan, and Michael Girdley participated in a 2018 discussion at Geekdom during San Antonio Startup Week. Credit: Edward A. Ornelas for the San Antonio Report
Employees at the coding bootcamp Codeup reported they were laid off on Friday, just hours after CEO Jason Straughan announced he was stepping down.
Two former employees told the San Antonio Report that when staff were informed of the layoffs on Friday, they learned the company would close once the last students completed their certificates. "Layoff stories are never fun to hear or tell," Leslie Torres wrote on LinkedIn Friday afternoon. "Unfortunately, this time, I am on the telling side of the story." Torres, who worked as a placement specialist, described Codeup as "one of the most fulfilling positions I have ever had the pleasure to take."
On Facebook, Kenneth Howell, an instructor at Codeup, shared that he found out on Friday that "Codeup will no longer be operating... and I will need to find a new job sooner rather than later."
Straughan, a founder of Codeup along with Michael Girdley and Chris Turner, did not mention layoffs or the future of the for-profit school in his posts on LinkedIn and X. He only stated that he would be stepping down as CEO and would be "supporting the team at Codeup in any way I can."
Straughan confirmed in a text that he had stepped down as CEO and referred additional questions to Dori Salisbury. Girdley, who also declined to comment, directed inquiries to Salisbury, "as she is the CEO."
Salisbury did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment on Friday afternoon.
Codeup laid off about a quarter of its staff in October, just weeks after moving into its new location on the North Side.