Loretta Lee , a software technologist who wreak at Google for seven years before being give the sack in February 2016 , is suing Google for sexual harassment , discrimination , revenge , and unlawful termination she say she experienced at the company . Lee say in her lawsuit that the company ’s “ bro - culture ” pass to continuous harassment and that Google did nothing to intervene .
Lee ’s lawsuit watch more than six month of Google grappling with the fallout from a memorandum publish by a former employee , James Damore , in which he argued that women were biologically less set for careers in technical school than man . Damore ’s memoranda , which was published by Gizmodo in August , received both support and condemnation from other Google employees and spurred intimate debate about sexism , racism , and diversity within the caller .
Throughout her fourth dimension at Google , Lee was routinely sexually harry , according to her lawsuit . She says her male coworkers spiked her drinks with alcohol and snap nerf guns at her on a regular basis , and she says one male coworker messaged her to demand for a “ horizontal hug . ” At a vacation party , Lee ’s lawsuit says , a male coworker slapped her across the look while he was elate .
In one specially alarming incident detail in Lee’slawsuit , she says she find a male coworker obliterate under her desk when she returned after a short break . He refuse to say what he was doing , the lawsuit says . “ The incident with the Colorado - worker under her desk unnerved her . Plaintiff [ Lee ] had never speak to that co - prole before . She was scare by his input and believed he may have installed some eccentric of camera or similar machine under her desk , ” the lawsuit says .
Google ’s human resources section pressure Lee during a serial of meetings to make a formal ill about the incident , she say . But she was frightened that a charge would only get revenge from her coworkers , she say — and video had come forth of the incident , her case states , so she did n’t think that she should be required to make a complaint . When she resist , HR mention her for “ failing to collaborate , ” her lawsuit states . Lee says she finally soften and made a complaint , which Google then die to investigate , the lawsuit states .
Lee ’s male coworkers retaliated against her after the ill , her lawsuit says . They deny to O.K. her codification and stalled her labor , she say , make it more difficult for her to come after at employment .
“ Not only did Google fail to prevent stern and permeating intimate molestation in Plaintiff ’s work , but the reprize and embarrassing meetings that Human Resources forced Plaintiff to attend led her radical to retaliate against her in the very way she feared , ” the cause country . “ Google ’s failure to take appropriate remedial natural process is consistent with its traffic pattern and practice of snub intimate harassment in the workplace , make no pregnant cause to take corrective natural action , and punishing the dupe . ”
Lee received positive public presentation reviews throughout her career at Google and placed extremely in two internal hackathons , the lawsuit states . However , when she was terminated in February 2016 , she say , she was told she was being burn for poor performance .
in short before being fired , Lee was in a machine chance event and requested medical leave — but Google did n’t conciliate her requests , her causa say .
“ We have substantial policies against torment in the workplace and refresh every charge we take in . We take action when we find misdemeanor — including final result of use , ” a Google representative said in a instruction . Google disputes Lee ’s allegation about her coworkers ’ behavior and about how HR handled the type , the spokesperson add , note that Google promptly investigates and react to allegations of workplace misconduct .
The allegations in Lee ’s lawsuit are reminiscent of those raised last year bySusan Fowler , an engine driver who gas the whistling about systemic intimate torment at Uber . Fowler , like Lee , receive sexually indicative messages from her coworkers and experienced retaliation from HR after she made the problem known .
Damore sued Googlelast month for enkindle him , say that the company routinely discriminated against conservative blanched men . Since his final result last August , Google employees who preach for variety at the company say that Damore ’s supporters have weaponized the ship’s company ’s HR department , filing spurious complaints that take diversity activists are discriminating against white men .
Tim Chevalier , a former Google railroad engineer , sued the company this monthfor discrimination , harassment , and wrongful termination after he was fired for home message board posts that advocate diversity at the company .
“ An of import part of our refinement is lively debate . But like any workplace , that does n’t intend anything go . All employees acknowledge our computer code of conduct and other workplace insurance , under which promoting harmful stereotypes based on race or gender is prohibit , ” a Google spokesperson said in response to Chevalier ’s case .
Googlers have also had screenshots of their intragroup conversation leak to alt - right websites , according toWired . In the immediate aftermath of Damore ’s memoranda , Google CEO Sundar Pichai be after to hold a town hall coming together to plow the billet . However , thetown hall was canceledafter leaks to alt - right sites led employee to fear for their safety . The Ithiel Town mansion was never reschedule , reservoir tell Gizmodo , although the terror that lead to its cancellation seemed to intensify the want for Google management to direct the situation .
Google ’s reaction to its cultural conflict stands in stark contrast to Uber ’s response to its own sexual harassment crisis last year . After Fowler ’s blog office went viral , Uber hired former US attorney superior general Eric Holder to conduct an investigation into its work culture and retained the police firm Perkins Coie to inquire 215 complaint of sexual harassment . Based on Perkins Coie ’s findings , Uber fired more than 20 employees . Holder’sinvestigationfound that Uber did not have consistent subroutine in position for react to harassment , and made wholesale passport for how Uber could ameliorate its civilization .
Google , by comparison , seems to have done relatively little to address the late swell in employee complaints of harassment and favouritism . The company does have procedures in place to deal complaint of intimate molestation and assault — in 2015 , Google instated a curriculum called Respect@ to develop its employee about satisfactory work behavior and collect reports of behavior that crosses line . employee can render anonymous reports through an intragroup site , and Google describe the number , type , and termination of complaints to its employees through an annual Internal Investigation Report . Google declined to deal recent datum from its Internal Investigation Report with Gizmodo .
Updated 3/1 at 7:00pm with additional comment with Google , including the society ’s dispute of Lee ’s claims and information about its Respect@ program .
If you have a written matter of Google ’s internal probe report , or a story about workplace molestation , we ’d like to hear from you . send out us anemailor contact us securely viaSecureDrop .
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