The settlement negotiations attracted some scrutiny after Cantu’s lawyers agreed to exclude Black employees from the proposed class—an objective Google had long targeted.v
Google has agreed to pay $28 million to settle allegations that it gave white and Asian employees better pay and more opportunities for growth than workers of other ethnic backgrounds.
According to the BBC, Google confirmed that it had “reached a resolution,” but denied any and all claims of wrongdoing.
The lawsuit, notes the BBC, was first filed in 2021 by former Google employee Ana Cantu. In the lawsuit, Cantu said that employees of other ethnicities—including Hispanic, Latino, and Native American employees—were routinely offered starting salaries and job titles inferior to those of their white and Asian colleagues.
Cantu, who “identifies as Mexican” and is racially indigenous, said that she received exemplary performance reviews while working with Google for a period of at least seven years. However, while Cantu’s high-performing white and Asian peers received extra pay, bonuses, and promotions for performing similar work, Cantu’s rate and responsibilities were left almost entirely unchanged.
Google, Cantu said, effectively places white and Asian employees in higher “level” jobs—and actively retaliates against workers who complain of bias or favoritism.
Cantu’s claims relied largely on a leaked internal document, which purportedly showed that workers from some ethnic backgrounds reported lower rates of compensation for similar work.
The lawsuit was later certified as a class action, representing at least 6,632 people who were employed by Google between February 15, 2018, and December 31, 2024.
Cathy Coble, an attorney for the class, praised the “bravery of both the diverse and ally Googlers who self-reported their pay and leaked that data to the media.”
“Suspected pay inequity is too easily concealed without this kind of collective action from employees,” Coble said.
Google, though, maintains that it never discriminated against any of its employees.
“We reached a resolution, but continue to disagree with the allegations that we treated anyone differently, and remain committed to paying, hiring, and levelling all employees fairly,” a Google spokesperson told the BBC.
California-based Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Charles Adams issued a preliminary approval of the settlement last week; in his decision, Adams called the proposed terms of the agreement fair and reasonable, describing them as “a good result for the class.”
Nevertheless, the settlement negotiations attracted some scrutiny after Cantu’s lawyers agreed to exclude Black employees from the proposed class—an objective Google had long targeted.
The New York Post notes that, of the $28 million settlement, about $7 million will be deducted for legal fees, costs, and penalties under the California Private Attorneys General Act. In total, $20.4 million will be distributed among the 6,632 class members.
Sources
Google agrees to pay $28m in racial bias lawsuit
Google to pay $28m to settle claims it favoured white and Asian employees
Google to pay $28M to settle claims it favored white, Asian employees
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