Numbers That Don’t Lie: A Stark Diversity Gap
The lawsuit points to telling internal figures from 2021, when Black employees made up just 4.4% of Google’s workforce and only 3% of leadership positions. Plaintiffs say the company routinely steered Black workers into lower-level roles, downgraded their performance reviews, and stalled their careers, effectively erecting an invisible ceiling.
Google, owned by Alphabet Inc., denied any wrongdoing in the settlement but acknowledged the agreement. The company stated it had complied with all relevant laws and offered no further comment on Friday.
Legal and Cultural Fallout: What’s Next for Google?
The lawsuit was filed in March 2022, following an investigation by the California Civil Rights Department (formerly the Department of Fair Employment and Housing), which focused on the treatment of Black female employees at the tech behemoth.
While the $50 million fund is intended to compensate employees, plaintiffs’ attorneys may seek up to $12.5 million in legal fees. On Monday, they dismissed related claims from job applicants, citing “reasoned arguments” and newly surfaced evidence from Google.
“This settlement is a reckoning,” said a civil rights attorney unaffiliated with the case. “It signals that even giants must answer for structural racism.”
