An Oracle employee who helped build FreeSQL, made a post on X expressing in brief how she felt about her time with Oracle. Massey, who was 30 weeks pregnant and spent four years with the company, was laid off via an e-mail sent to her inbox.
FreeSQL is a tool that users can access through the web in order to run SQL (Structured Query Language) queries and scripts directly in a browser without having to download an external program.
"I helped build http://FreeSQL.com from the ground up, Oracle's next-gen SQL learning platform replacing LiveSQL, now used by thousands of developers. Along the way, I wrote code, docs, tutorials, and videos, ran the social presence, and drove integrations across internal teams, improving onboarding and developer experience for thousands of users," Layla Massey wrote in a reply to her post.
Today, I was impacted by Oracle's layoffs.
— layla (@pilatesdev) March 31, 2026
It's a strange feeling, but I'm incredibly proud of what I was able to build over the past 4 years, from intern to full-time and through my work in the developer community, and grateful for the experience, mentors, and teammates along…
She noted that she worked as an engineer and project manager in most cases.
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Massey's husband Austin also made a post on LinkedIn detailing the abrupt manner of the layoffs. Austin Massey, said that Layla was 30 weeks pregnant when she received notice of firing via e-mail from Oracle. He stated that Massey had no prior notice, being let go without a call, meeting, a word from her manager or a warning.
"We have a 17-month old and Oracle couldn't pick up the phone," Austin Massey said.
"She is one of the most talented and hardworking people I know and she deserved better than an email," he added.
Layla worked for Oracle as a software engineer intern for two separate occasions, which amounted to a total of seven months before being hired by the company and taking a full-time position for two years and seven months.
"It's a strange feeling, but I'm incredibly proud of what I was able to build over the past four years, from intern to full-time and through my work in the developer community, and grateful for the experience, mentors, and teammates along the way," she wrote in her 'X' post.
Her husband Evan also detailed her varied contributions to the company, drawing attention to the fact that she personally promoted Oracle's FreeSQL and created content for Oracle's channels along with building products, shipping code and mentoring interns.
"I'm not writing this out of anger. I'm writing this because people need to see what this actually looks like from the inside. This is the human cost behind the headlines," he said.
Thx to those sending kind words <3
— layla (@pilatesdev) March 31, 2026
I've lived & breathed everything Oracle for the last 4 years, ever since my 1st internship in Summer 2022. To say I'm bummed is an understatement BUT I'm stoked to see what's next
Spending time with my toddler and husband in the meantime :)
Users in the comments section of Layla Massey's 'X' post expressed empathy and solidarity with the software engineer wishing her well in her future endeavours.
"I've lived and breathed everything Oracle for the last four years, ever since my first internship in Summer 2022. To say I'm bummed is an understatement. But I'm stoked to see what's next," Massey wrote, saying that she is spending time with her toddler and husband in the meantime.
ALSO READ: ‘Not Even A Phone Call': Oracle Employee With Cancer Laid Off After Two Decades Of Service
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