Google has consented to pay $28 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of granting preferential treatment to white and Asian employees through higher compensation and more advanced professional pathways compared to their peers.
Last week, Judge Charles Adams of the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California gave initial approval to the settlement, which includes Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
He characterized the agreement as fair, reasonable, and "a positive outcome for the class" consisting of approximately 6,632 Google employees based in California from February 15, 2018, through December 31, 2024.
On Tuesday, as confirmed by Reuters, Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini stated, "We still do not agree with the claims that we discriminated against anyone, and we remain dedicated to ensuring fair pay, equal hiring practices, and equitable opportunities for advancement for all our staff."
The legal action was initiated by Ana Cantu, who self-identifies as Mexican and ethnically Indigenous, advocating for Hispanic, Latinx, Indigenous, Native American, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Alaska Native workers within the organization.
Cantu mentioned that during her seven-year tenure at Google within the people operations and cloud divisions, she delivered exceptional performance. However, despite this, she remained stagnant in her position while her white and Asian counterparts received additional compensation and promotion opportunities.
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Cantu alleged that Google's actions breached the California Equal Pay Act. She departed from Google in September 2021.
Judge Adams observed that the agreement came after Cantu’s legal team decided earlier this month to omit Black employees from the suggested class, a step that Google had requested.
Following reductions for legal expenses, fines imposed under California’s Private Attorneys General Act, and additional expenditures, the final settlement figure amounts to $20.4 million.
A concluding settlement hearing has been set for September 11. Cantu’s attorneys have not responded to requests for commentary as of Tuesday.
The case is Cantu v. Google LLC et al, filed in the California Superior Court, Santa Clara County, under docket number 21CV392049.
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Tags: Google Supplied by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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