Google Settles $50 Million Racial Bias Lawsuit Covering 4,000 Black Employees

Google has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging systemic racial discrimination against over 4,000 Black employees, primarily in California and New York. The lawsuit, initiated in 2022 following an investigation by the California Civil Rights Department, accused Google of maintaining a racially biased corporate culture that relegated Black employees to lower-level roles, paid them less, unfairly downgraded their performance, and denied them advancement opportunities. Plaintiffs highlighted that Black employees made up only 4.4 percent of Google's workforce and about three percent of leadership in 2021, and described experiences of stereotyping and exclusion under the guise of lacking "Googleyness." The lead plaintiff, April Curley, who was involved in recruiting from historically Black colleges, claimed she was labeled as an "angry" Black woman and fired while preparing a report on racial inequities at Google. In addition to monetary relief, Google will adopt provisions such as identifying race-based pay disparities and suspending mandatory arbitration for employment disputes through 2026. While Google denies any wrongdoing, it emphasized its commitment to building an equitable and inclusive workplace.