Source: The Hill
Reports from Friday, March 18, specify a lawsuit filed by a former Google employee against the tech giant. The suit alleges that Google took part in active discrimination against Black employees in the company. Specifically, how it maintains a corporate environment that is “racially biased,” and in favour of white males.
Plaintiff April Curley filed the said suit in a San Jose, California federal court on March 18. It essentially accuses the tech company of pushing Black employees towards lower-level jobs in the organisation. Additionally, paying them comparatively less and depriving them of opportunities to advance, according to Reuters.
Along with the alleged ‘systematic bias,’ Curley accuses Google of exposing Black employees to a hostile work culture. Mainly, forcing them to be subject to interrogations by security at its offices in the state of California.
According to the wire service, the suit also specifies the composition of black employees in the company. They make up about 4.4% of the workforce for Google, along with 3% of its technology and leadership sector.
“While Google claims that they were looking to increase diversity, they were actually undervaluing, underpaying and mistreating their Black employees,” Curley’s attorney said in a statement to Reuters.
Curley stated that Google hired her back in the year 2014 to be part of an advocacy programme for historically Black colleges. However, Reuters specified her employment to be a possible ‘marketing ploy.’ Curley further added that her superiors rather undervalued her work. Moreover, they even stereotyped her as an “angry” Black woman.
The former employee stated that she was fired by the tech giant in 2020 following a development among other employees. Curley and her coworkers initiated to compile a set of alterations and improvements they hoped to see Google put together. Google has not yet responded to a request for comment on the situation. However, concerned authorities assume that Curley’s part in the activism could have led to her subsequent dismissal.
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump is representing April Curley in this case against alleged discrimination. Previously, Crump had represented the families of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.
Through the lawsuit, the former employee is seeking punitive and compensatory impairments. Alongside, Curley is also seeking lost compensation for Black employees at Google, current and former. Finally, she also targets the reinstatement of the rightful positions and ranks of these Black employees in the tech company.
