A bombshellreportby the New York Times in October revealed that Google , like many companies , was willing to bury inconvenient intimate harassment ill against its executives . In the vitrine of Andy Rubin , a old hand associated deeply with the introduction of the Android operating system , his declension from grace was reportedly eased by a $ 90 million halcyon parachute — something a numeral of Alphabet shareholders are now process over .
The plaintiff — pension design funds for the Northern California Pipe Trades and the Teamsters Local 272 , which combined represent approximately 10,000 — name Alphabet Inc. , as well as every member of its board one by one , alleging the windfall lend on Rubin represented a rift of fiduciary duty . The table ’s actions , the case alleges , resulted in “ hundreds of millions of dollar in generous exit packages to wrongdoers and peril [ Alphabet ] to further litigation and loss of federal contracts over its unfriendly and discriminatory workplace . ”
Not only does the courting criticize the tech colossus ’s willingness to pay up out generous sums to alleged harassers , it also points to insufficient response from the society follow the lead walkout — where anestimated 20,000 Google employees globallyleft their offices in protest of these precise sorts of exit packages . At the time the walkout ’s organizers made a variety of demand , few of which have yet been met .
“ Since the Walkout , and under meaning public pressure , Defendants have taken humble steps to address their former failures . But , as described below , these belated , reactive actions — which practice only prospectively — are insufficient t0 remedy the harms that have already been done , or to address the systemic , cultural problem the Board has long permitted to fester at Alphabet . ”
Lastly the suit mentions the data breaches that were chance on within the company ’s fail social meshing , Google+ . “ Defendants deliberately hid the Google+ data point breach to avoid regulatory scrutiny , ” it reads , “ And , just as Alphabet ’s long — stand nonstarter to direct its sexual molestation and secernment problem set the stage for monumental employee and shareholder outrage after the NYT ’S revelations , the Company ’s repeated nonstarter to comply with data privacy rule in the past has increased the fallout and potential penalty it now face . ”
In addition to seeking prize for fiscal damages , the cause also seek an order to “ cease [ Alphabet ’s ] hostile workplace environment ” and “ it ’s pattern of non - compliance with data privateness laws . ”
We ’ve reached out to the legal philosophy firm representing both funds , as well as Google , and will update when we receive a reaction .
ALPHABETAndy RubinGoogle
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