SoFi joins a list of other technology start-ups that have also been dealing with workplace culture issues. This year, Uber, the ride-hailing company based in San Francisco, has grappled with claims of sexual harassment and questions over its business tactics, resulting in many of it senior leaders — including its chief executive, Travis Kalanick — leaving their positions. (Mr. Kalanick was not personally accused of sexual harassment.) Venture capitalists who finance start-ups have also faced questions over sexual harassment of women entrepreneurs in recent months.

The episodes have tarnished the image of Silicon Valley’s start-up ecosystem — which has long painted itself as a place of innovation, ideas and progressive workplaces — and it raises concerns about whether these start-ups and their investors operate under a sufficient number of checks and balances.

A spokesman for SoFi disputed the notion that the company had taken on too much risk in its business. The spokesman also said that the board investigated a dispute between Mr. Cagney, a married father of two, and a former employee, Laura Munoz, in 2012, and it found no evidence of a romantic or sexual relationship. The company reached a settlement after the investigation.

Mr. Cagney did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

SoFi was founded in 2011 and began by offering online refinancing the loans of students. Since then, it has branched out to offer mortgages and personal loans, and it recently began the process of applying for a banking license. The privately held company, which is valued at more than $4 billion, has raised nearly $2 billion from investors, including SoftBank, Discovery Capital and Baseline Ventures.

For years, SoFi was heralded as a fast-growing start-up in the financial technology industry, known as fintech. But questions started to surface about the company’s workplace this year when SoFi was sued in August by a former employee at its main satellite office, in Healdsburg, Calif. The employee said that he had been fired after complaining about managers sexually harassing their subordinates. SoFi said this month that it was starting an investigation into the claims.