Google has agreed to pay $28 million to settle a class action lawsuit that accused the company of unfairly favoring white and Asian employees over others in terms of pay and career advancement. This settlement received preliminary approval from Judge Charles Adams in Santa Clara County, California, last week.
The lawsuit, led by Ana Cantu, claims that Google discriminated against Hispanic, Latinx, Indigenous, Native American, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Alaska Native employees. Cantu, who worked at Google for seven years, said she consistently performed well but was stuck at the same job level while her white and Asian colleagues received higher pay and promotions. She alleged that Google placed these employees in better job positions for the same work and punished those who spoke out against this treatment.
Cantu’s legal team agreed to exclude Black employees from the class, which was a point of contention for Google. The total amount for the settlement, after deducting legal fees and other costs, will be $20.4 million.
Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini stated that the company disagrees with the allegations but remains committed to fair treatment for all employees. A hearing to finalize the settlement is scheduled for September 11. The case is officially titled Cantu v. Google LLC et al, filed in the California Superior Court in Santa Clara County.