Google Settles Racial Discrimination Suit with Over 4,000 Black Employees
On Thursday, May 8, Google agreed to pay $50 million to settle a class-action racial bias lawsuit brought by more than 4,000 current and former Black employees in California and New York. The settlement, filed in Oakland Federal Court, is awaiting a judge’s approval, according to Reuters.
The case, Curley et al v. Google LLC, accuses the tech giant of cultivating a “racially biased corporate culture” where Black workers were systematically underpaid, steered into lower-level roles, given lower performance scores, and denied career advancement.
Former Diversity Recruiter Says She Was Fired After Speaking Out
April Curley, a lead plaintiff and former Google diversity recruiter, claims she was stereotyped by supervisors as an “angry Black woman” and repeatedly ignored by HR after filing complaints. Curley says she was terminated after six years with the company—just as she was preparing to report its internal bias.
“I’m finna tell yall why [Google] fired me—their MOST successful diversity recruiter in the history of their company—with the receipts,” she wrote in a viral 2020 thread on X, formerly Twitter.
Curley’s account helped spark a broader legal challenge, joined by co-plaintiffs Desiree Mayon, Ronkia Lewis, Rayna Reid, Anim Aweh, and Ebony Thomas. Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump is part of their legal team.
Racial Bias Framed as “Not Googley Enough”
The lawsuit alleges that managers used vague internal language like “not Googley enough” or lacking in “Googleyness” to criticize Black employees—a standard the plaintiffs say operated as a racial dog whistle to justify bias.
Google Denies Wrongdoing Despite Settlement
While agreeing to the $50 million payout, Google has denied all claims of wrongdoing.
“We strongly disagree with the allegations that we treated anyone improperly and we remain committed to paying, hiring and leveling all employees consistently,” said Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini in a statement to Reuters.
The settlement marks one of the most high-profile racial discrimination cases in Big Tech and underscores ongoing scrutiny over Silicon Valley’s diversity and inclusion practices.
