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Google is facing a lawsuit from a former senior employee who alleges that male staff members were systematically discriminated against, denied promotions, and ultimately pushed out of the company.
Marco Meier, a long-serving executive in Google’s advertising division, claims in the lawsuit that his female supervisor engaged in a “relentless campaign” against male employees. The suit alleges that men were frequently interrupted in meetings, overlooked for key projects, and disproportionately fired, with women promoted in their place.
Meier, who joined Google in 2011 and rose to Head of Google Marketable Products, says that his career took a downturn after reporting to the executive in question. Despite receiving strong endorsements from senior leadership (“We need more leaders like Marco. I strongly endorse his promotion,”Google Vice President, Torrence Boone wrote in a 2021 email) he was repeatedly passed over for promotion and ultimately dismissed under what he describes as false pretences.
Discriminatory practices and gender imbalance
According to the lawsuit, the executive expressed a preference for female employees, allegedly stating that men in the workplace were “too aggressive and too competitive.” The suit claims that the people being promoted reflected this bias. In 2022, 14 employees in Meier’s department were promoted to director-level roles, 13 of them women.
Before the executive’s tenure, the leadership team in Meier’s division had seven male leads and two female leads. By 2023, those numbers had reversed, with just two men remaining in leadership roles while women filled the majority of positions. The lawsuit describes the change as a “nefarious and systematic elimination” of male employees.
Beyond hiring and promotions, the lawsuit also highlights the executive’s choice of Christmas gifts for her team as evidence of gender bias. She reportedly signed employees up for Step Up, a mentorship organization focused on supporting girls and young women, seemingly overlooking male staff members entirely.
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HR complaint and allegations of wrongful termination
Meier filed a formal HR complaint in November 2022, citing gender discrimination. The suit alleges that Google failed to conduct a thorough investigation and instead transferred him to another team.
"I was planning to spend my career at Google and I really enjoyed my career at the company until it was derailed," Meier said.
During a transition meeting with his new manager, Meier claims his former supervisor falsely accused him of failing to meet performance goals and neglecting his team. The suit asserts that these allegations were intended to justify his eventual termination, leaving him “stunned” and emotionally distressed.
Google has not commented directly on the lawsuit but has stated that the company “hires the best people for the job.”
The case adds to ongoing scrutiny over gender and diversity policies within major tech firms, raising questions about the balance of workplace equity efforts.
