Google has reached a $28 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit that accused the tech giant of favoring white and Asian employees in pay and career advancement. This agreement, which was granted preliminary approval by Judge Charles Adams of the Santa Clara County Superior Court last week, applies to at least 6,632 Google workers based in California.
The lawsuit, originally filed by Ana Cantu, a former Google employee of Mexican and Indigenous descent, alleges that Google’s practices disproportionately placed white and Asian workers in higher-level positions and awarded them greater compensation compared to their Hispanic, Latinx, Indigenous, and Native American colleagues. Cantu claimed that despite her exemplary work in Google’s People Operations and Cloud departments, she remained stagnant at the same job level while her white and Asian counterparts received promotions and salary increases.
According to the terms of the settlement, which covers employees who worked at Google between February 15, 2018, and December 31, 2024, $7 million will be allocated toward legal fees, penalties, and costs related to the case. After deductions, the net proceeds of $20.4 million will be distributed among the affected employees.
Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has denied the allegations but confirmed the settlement. Company spokesperson Courtenay Mencini stated, “While we continue to disagree with the claims of discrimination, we remain committed to ensuring fair pay, hiring, and promotion processes for all our employees.”
Cantu’s lawsuit challenged Google’s practices under the California Equal Pay Act, arguing that the company’s actions led to unequal treatment based on race and ethnicity, as well as retaliation against employees who raised concerns. She departed from Google in September 2021.
The settlement is a significant step toward resolving the legal dispute, though the case will not include Black employees in the class, a decision that followed negotiations between Cantu’s legal team and Google.
A final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for September 11, 2025.
Case Information: Cantu v. Google LLC et al., California Superior Court, Santa Clara County, No. 21CV392049
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