A former Google engineer fired after stating in a memo that biological causes were at the root of gender inequality in the tech industry, his former employer continued on Monday, saying he was discriminated against as white man with conservative political views.
James Damore last year caused an uproar in Silicon Valley and beyond when he wrote the internal memo, which later became public. Google said it perpetuated gender stereotypes and sent it back in August.
In the months that followed, his dismissal became a popular cause among right-wing American bloggers, and Damore hired a Republican Party official as his lawyer.
Damore and another former Google white engineer, David Gudeman, filed a lawsuit as a class action in the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California. The lawsuit alleges discrimination and retaliation at the workplace.
Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc based in Mountain View, California, said in a statement: “We look forward to defending against Mr. Damore’s lawsuit in court.”
According to the lawsuit, the company has failed to protect employees, especially white men, from workplace harassment related to their support of U.S. President Donald Trump or conservative political views.
“Damore, Gudeman, and other class members were ostracized, belittled, and punished for their heterodox political views, and for the added sin of their birth circumstances of being Caucasians and/or males,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit also accused Google of maintaining a secret blacklist of conservative media personalities who are not allowed inside the company’s offices.
The lawsuit requested an injunction barring Google from discriminating against individuals with conservative political views, as well as for unspecified compensation.
Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said when Damore was fired that portions of his memo “violate our Code of Conduct and cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace.”
Gudeman was fired in December 2016 after a confrontation with a Muslim coworker on an internal Google forum, according to the lawsuit.
The coworker said on the forum that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had targeted him for being a Muslim, and he expressed worry about his personal safety, the lawsuit said. Gudeman responded with skepticism, saying the coworker had provided “zero evidence” for the claim and suggesting the FBI may have had justification.
A human resources employee later told Gudeman he had accused his coworker of terrorism based on religion, and that he was being fired as a result, the lawsuit said.#Africa ... spill TEA.... Easy on Shade #jaiyeorie
Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc based in Mountain View, California, said in a statement: “We look forward to defending against Mr. Damore’s lawsuit in court.”
According to the lawsuit, the company has failed to protect employees, especially white men, from workplace harassment related to their support of U.S. President Donald Trump or conservative political views.
“Damore, Gudeman, and other class members were ostracized, belittled, and punished for their heterodox political views, and for the added sin of their birth circumstances of being Caucasians and/or males,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit also accused Google of maintaining a secret blacklist of conservative media personalities who are not allowed inside the company’s offices.
The lawsuit requested an injunction barring Google from discriminating against individuals with conservative political views, as well as for unspecified compensation.
Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said when Damore was fired that portions of his memo “violate our Code of Conduct and cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace.”
Gudeman was fired in December 2016 after a confrontation with a Muslim coworker on an internal Google forum, according to the lawsuit.
The coworker said on the forum that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had targeted him for being a Muslim, and he expressed worry about his personal safety, the lawsuit said. Gudeman responded with skepticism, saying the coworker had provided “zero evidence” for the claim and suggesting the FBI may have had justification.
A human resources employee later told Gudeman he had accused his coworker of terrorism based on religion, and that he was being fired as a result, the lawsuit said.#Africa ... spill TEA.... Easy on Shade #jaiyeorie
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