Google Agrees To Settle Case Over Bias Against Black Employees For $50 Million

Google has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of racial discrimination against Black employees, the Associated Press reported.

The case claimed that Black workers at Google faced unequal treatment in hiring, pay, job assignments, performance reviews, and career advancement opportunities.

The proposed settlement covers more than 4,000 current and former Google employees in California and New York.

The agreement was filed in a federal court in Oakland, California, and still requires approval from a judge.

The lawsuit was originally filed in 2022 by former Google employee April Curley. She alleged that Google maintained a racially biased workplace culture where Black employees were often placed in lower-level positions, paid less than others, and denied promotions and professional growth opportunities.

Curley, who worked on outreach programmes for historically Black colleges, claimed she was stereotyped as an “angry” Black woman and was later fired after raising concerns about racial bias inside the company.

The lawsuit also alleged that managers used terms such as “not Googley enough” in ways that unfairly targeted Black employees.

According to the complaint, Black employees represented only a small percentage of Google’s workforce and leadership positions in 2021.

Plaintiffs argued that the company’s practices created barriers to advancement and contributed to unequal treatment in the workplace.

Google denied any wrongdoing as part of the settlement and said it complied with all applicable laws. However, the company agreed to resolve the case without continuing a lengthy legal battle.

Reports said the settlement also includes workplace policy changes, including measures related to pay transparency, pay equity reviews, and employment dispute procedures.

Civil rights lawyers involved in the case described the agreement as an important step toward accountability and fairer workplace practices in the technology industry.