Google To Pay $50 Million To Settle Racial Discrimination Lawsuit In A Landmark Judgment

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Google has agreed to pay $50 million (nearly ₹417.5 crore) to resolve a lawsuit alleging systemic racial discrimination against Black employees, marking one of the tech giant's most significant legal challenges in recent years.

The proposed settlement, filed on Thursday evening in a federal court in Oakland, California, covers more than 4,000 current and former Black employees based in California and New York. The agreement, which still requires court approval, follows accusations that Google maintained a racially biased corporate culture that hindered Black employees' career growth and remuneration.

Notably, the lawsuit, originally brought forward by April Curley, a former employee hired to strengthen ties with historically Black colleges and universities, claims that Google routinely relegated Black staff to lower-level positions, paid them less than their peers, and unfairly downgraded their performance reviews. Curley alleged that she was repeatedly denied promotions, was subjected to harmful stereotypes, was labelled an "angry" Black woman, and was dismissed in 2020 shortly after compiling a report detailing racial inequities within the company.

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According to court documents, Black employees accounted for only 4.4 per cent of Google's overall workforce and a mere three per cent of its leadership roles as of 2021. The complaint also highlights claims that some managers dismissed Black staff as lacking "Googleyness," a term the plaintiffs argue served as a racial dog whistle to justify discrimination.

While Google, part of the Alphabet Inc. conglomerate based in Mountain View, California, has denied any wrongdoing, the company agreed to the settlement to resolve the matter. "We are committed to building a workplace that is equitable and inclusive," Google said in a brief statement, declining to comment further on Friday.

The legal battle, which began in March 2022, followed a broader investigation by the California Civil Rights Department into Google's treatment of Black female employees.

Under the settlement terms, lawyers for the plaintiff are expected to seek up to $12.5 million in legal fees. On Monday, the legal team also moved to dismiss related claims concerning job applicants, citing the evidence obtained and Google's detailed counterarguments.

The case is listed as Curley et al v Google LLC, No. 22-01735, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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