Google’s parent Alphabet Inc. pledged $310 million to expand diversity efforts and resolve shareholder litigation that alleged the company’s board failed to prevent sexual harassment and hid misconduct by executives.
The settlement caps a controversy that shook the technology giant and reverberated across Silicon Valley. At the center of the lawsuit was a $90 million exit package for Google executive Andy Rubin, creator of the Android mobile operating system, who faced a sexual harassment investigation at the time.
Thousands of Google employees staged a walkout in 2018 to protest the decision, prompting the company to change several workplace policies. A group of shareholders sued, alleging Google’s board and chief executive offer at the time, Larry Page, was aware of the allegations against Rubin when they approved his pay package.
Alphabet also announced the creation of an independent audit board to oversee issues of harassment. After the employee walkout, Google ended mandatory arbitration for employees. The company said Friday it is extending that to other units beyond Google, such as Waymo and Verily.
To learn more about this matter, contact us today!
