Google has reached a $50 million settlement with Black employees who alleged systemic racial disparities in hiring, pay, and advancement in a lawsuit filed in 2022.
Background of the Lawsuit
April Curley, a former Google employee, initiated the lawsuit against the tech giant, accusing it of engaging in a 'pattern and practice' of unfair treatment towards its Black workers. The suit claimed that Google steered Black employees into lower-level and lower-paid jobs and subjected them to a hostile work environment when they voiced concerns. Other former Google workers joined the suit, which later achieved class action status.
Legal Representation and Statements
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented the plaintiffs, stated: 'This case is about accountability, plain and simple. For far too long, Black employees in the tech industry have faced barriers that limit opportunity. This settlement is a significant step toward holding one of the world’s most powerful companies accountable and making clear that discriminatory practices cannot and will not be tolerated.'
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
Allegations of Discrimination
The lawsuit echoed years of complaints from Black employees at Google, including prominent artificial intelligence scholar Timnit Gebru, who alleged she was pushed out in 2020 after a dispute over a research paper on the societal dangers of AI.
The 2022 lawsuit claimed that Mountain View, California-based Google viewed Black job candidates 'through harmful racial stereotypes' and that hiring managers deemed Black candidates 'not Googly enough, a plain dog whistle for race discrimination.' Additionally, according to the suit, interviewers 'hazed' and undermined Black candidates, hiring them into lower-paying and lower-level roles with less advancement potential based on their race.
Settlement Terms
The settlement does not constitute an admission of liability by Google. It also includes commitments to pay equity analyses, pay transparency measures, and limits on mandatory arbitration for employment-related disputes through at least August 2026, according to Crump.
