WASHINGTON: Google has agreed to a $50 million (£40 million) settlement over allegations of systemic racial discrimination against Black employees.
The preliminary agreement, which covers over 4,000 staff in California and New York, was filed in a federal court in Oakland, California, and awaits judicial approval.
The class action claim accuses Google of fostering a racially biased corporate environment, allegedly funnelling Black employees into lower-tier roles, offering them reduced pay, giving them poorer performance evaluations, and limiting their chances for promotion, according to Reuters.
In 2021, Black staff reportedly made up just 4.4% of Google’s workforce and 3% of leadership positions.
Lead plaintiff April Curley, hired to improve recruitment from historically Black colleges, alleged she was denied promotions, labelled an “angry” Black woman, and dismissed after six years, just as she was preparing a report on racial disparities at the company.
Racial dog whistle
She also claimed that managers described Black staff as not being “Googley” enough—a term the lawsuit suggests was used as a racial dog whistle.
Google, owned by Alphabet and based in Mountain View, California, denied any wrongdoing but chose to settle the case.
“We strongly disagree with the allegations and are committed to consistent hiring, pay, and promotion practices,” said Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini in a statement, according to Reuters.
The lawsuit was initially filed in March 2022 following an investigation by the California Civil Rights Department into the treatment of Black female employees at Google.
The legal team representing the plaintiffs may request up to $12.5 million of the settlement for legal fees. On Monday, they dropped related claims concerning job applicants, citing evidence reviewed and Google’s “reasoned arguments.”
