Filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, the proposed settlement—still awaiting court approval—covers more than 4,000 current and former Black employees in California and New York.
The lawsuit, Curley et al v Google LLC, No. 22-01735, was initiated by April Curley, a former Google employee hired to build relationships with historically Black colleges and universities.
Curley alleged that Black employees were consistently placed in lower-level roles, denied promotions, received lower pay, and faced biased performance reviews.
She also claimed she was stereotyped as an “angry” Black woman and was terminated shortly after compiling a report on racial disparities at Google.
Court filings revealed that Black employees represented only 4.4% of Google’s total workforce and just 3% of leadership roles as of 2021.
The complaint further highlighted the use of terms like “Googleyness” as coded language that plaintiffs argue perpetuated bias.
While Google denied any wrongdoing, it agreed to the settlement to avoid prolonged litigation.
“We are committed to building a workplace that is equitable and inclusive,” a company spokesperson said in a brief statement.
The settlement includes provisions for legal fees, with attorneys for the plaintiffs expected to request up to $12.5 million.
Related claims from job applicants were dismissed earlier this week, following a review of available evidence and Google’s counterarguments.
The case stemmed from a 2022 investigation by California regulators into the treatment of Black female employees at Google.