Google settles lawsuit that accused it of fostering systemic bias against Black employees

Google has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the tech giant of against Black employees, . The preliminary settlement was filed earlier this week, but still requires a judge’s approval. The class action suit covers more than 4,000 employees.

Plaintiffs involved in the suit said that Google operates a “racially biased corporate culture” that steers Black employees to lower-level jobs. The suit also accuses the company of paying these employees less than other workers. The complaint goes on to say that Black employees comprised just 4.4 percent of its workforce and around three percent of its leadership in 2021. As a reference, Black Americans make up .

The initial plaintiff said that Google denied her promotions and stereotyped her as an “angry” Black woman. She was fired while preparing a report on the company’s alleged racial bias. The suit also alleges that managers denigrated Black employees, saying they weren’t “Googley” enough or lacked “Googleyness.”

Google still denies any wrongdoing, despite agreeing to settle. It has offered no additional comment.

This lawsuit began all the way back in 2022 when the California Civil Rights Department started looking into Google’s treatment of Black female employees. At that time, the plaintiff said that the company claimed to be in favor of increasing diversity, all the while “they were actually undervaluing, underpaying and mistreating their Black employees.”