Google has agreed to settle a racial discrimination lawsuit brought by a group of Black employees who accused the company of maintaining disparities in hiring, pay, and promotions.
Former Google employee April Curley filed the lawsuit in 2022, alleging the technology company engaged in a “pattern and practice” of discrimination against Black employees by steering them into lower-paying positions with fewer opportunities for promotion and creating a hostile work environment for workers who raised concerns about discrimination. Additional former workers later joined the case, which eventually received class action status.
Attorneys representing the workers said the agreement includes commitments involving pay equity analyses, pay transparency measures, and restrictions on mandatory arbitration requirements in employment disputes through at least August 2026. The settlement does not include an admission of liability by Google.
Court filings alleged Google relied on racial stereotypes during hiring and promotion decisions. Workers also argued that some hiring managers used the term “Googly” as a coded measure of workplace fit that disproportionately excluded Black applicants.
According to the complaint, Black candidates were often placed into lower-level roles with less earning potential based on racial stereotypes. The lawsuit also claimed interviewers sometimes undermined or “hazed” Black applicants during the hiring process.
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