Google Executive Accused of Systematic Discrimination Against Male Employees

[Social Media]

 

A lawsuit, alleging that a senior executive at Google engaged in a systematic campaign of hostility and discrimination against male employees. The lawsuit claims that the executive actively worked to fire men, denied them promotions, refused to allow them to contribute in meetings, and even distributed Christmas gifts that exclusively benefited female employees.

 

 

The plaintiff, Marco Meier, a former professional basketball player from Germany, had been with Google since 2011, serving on the ads team for nearly 13 years. He asserts that he was repeatedly overlooked for promotions and ultimately terminated under false pretenses by a discriminatory superior who claimed that male employees were "too aggressive and too competitive."

 

According to the lawsuit, Meier was a high-performing employee who eventually rose to the position of Head of Google Marketable Products – Big 5 Agencies. He played a key role in securing one of Google’s most significant ad sales deals. However, his career took a downward turn when he began reporting to the executive in question.

 

 

“We need more leaders like Marco. I strongly endorse his promotion,” Google Vice President Torrence Boone wrote in a 2021 email, which was reviewed by Fox News Digital. Despite this endorsement, in 2022, when 14 employees from Meier’s department were promoted to director positions, 13 were women, according to the lawsuit. Google, however, defended its hiring practices, stating that it always selects the most qualified individuals for each role.

 

The lawsuit outlines a dramatic shift in leadership under the executive’s tenure. In 2019, Meier’s team had seven male and two female team leads. By 2023, nearly all the male leaders had been removed, with Meier and one other being the only ones left. The executive allegedly justified these firings by insisting that male employees were "too aggressive and too competitive."

 

Meier recounted his deteriorating experience at Google, saying, “I was planning to spend my career at Google, and I really enjoyed my time there until it was derailed.” His claims extend to even holiday gifts—an email from December 2021 showed the executive enrolled her team in Step Up, a mentorship nonprofit for women and girls, a gesture that effectively excluded Meier and the only other remaining male employee.

 

In November 2022, Meier filed an HR complaint about the alleged gender discrimination, but Google failed to conduct a proper investigation, according to the lawsuit. Instead, he was reassigned to another team. During a meeting with his new supervisor, the executive allegedly falsely claimed that Meier failed to meet performance goals and “abandoned his employees,” seemingly laying the groundwork for his dismissal. Meier, in turn, insisted that he had exceeded his performance goals and had evidence to support his claims.

 

Tensions escalated further when the executive allegedly told him, “The women on my team have better leadership skills and are better prepared.” Meier filed another HR complaint in August 2023, and eight months later, he was terminated under the pretense that his position was being eliminated due to corporate restructuring. However, the lawsuit asserts that his role remained intact and was simply given to a less experienced woman.

 

In response to the lawsuit, Google stated, “We looked into these allegations when they were first raised and found they are entirely without merit. We have a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and retaliation and are reviewing the lawsuit for any new claims.”

 

A leaked internal memo from January 2024 revealed that Google was laying off hundreds of employees from its ad sales division, particularly targeting larger client sales teams, which included Meier’s department. A former Google employee familiar with the situation confirmed that Meier’s role was not eliminated but rather split into two, with both positions being filled by female managers who lacked relevant experience.

 

Meier’s departure reportedly caused a significant morale crisis within his former team. “His team was taken, and it was divided into two different teams. The two leaders who came in have zero background in the role he was previously at. Under those two leaders, we had probably about 80% attrition,” said a former colleague. “Marco had zero attrition. People were leaving without jobs. That’s how toxic the environment was.”

 

In the first ten weeks following Meier’s dismissal, four of his direct reports resigned, according to the lawsuit. Another ex-Google employee, speaking anonymously to Fox News Digital, corroborated some of Meier’s claims, stating that discrimination at the company was evident. “Thirteen out of the fourteen promotions [to director] were women. That’s statistically impossible. If it were the reverse, people would throw up their arms,” the source commented.

 

The source further suggested that the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives played a role in Meier’s predicament. He described a shift in Google’s culture, where white men began to feel they were at a disadvantage. “When I first got hired at Google, it was much more merit-based, but it migrated left… soon at the beginning of every meeting, someone had to apologize about something,” he said.

 

Regarding the perceived bias against men, the source shared, “Whenever one would speak up about it, they’d be told, ‘That’s the way everyone else used to feel.’ OK, two wrongs make a right, I suppose. I found the whole thing nauseating, but I knew I had to keep my mouth shut.”

 

The lawsuit brings into question Google’s commitment to fair employment practices and whether its DEI policies have inadvertently fostered an environment of exclusion. As the case unfolds, it remains to be seen whether Meier’s allegations will lead to any broader discussions on workplace equity at the tech giant.

 

 

Based on a report by NYP  2025-04-04

 

 

[dinsdale]

26 minutes ago, Social Media said:

The lawsuit brings into question Google’s commitment to fair employment practices and whether its DEI policies have inadvertently fostered an environment of exclusion

No inadvertently about it. That's exactly what DEI does or did in the case of the US. If you're white and male you're bottom of the list.

[JonnyF]

No surprise, he doesn't tick enough boxes.

 

Maybe he needs to be forced to watch "Adolescence" on repeat, eyes taped open Clockwork Orange style, so he can be educated on just how destructive and violent toxic masculinity amongst white men has become. 😄

 

That'll learn him.  

[Purdey]

White males seem to dominate the IT industry globally. However, Thailand has the highest proportion of female CEOs in the world, with 30% of companies employing female CEOs. Thats not DEI, that's because they are good.

[Chomper Higgot]

Removing the extrapolation.

 

Google didn’t appreciate Marco Meier to the extent Marco Meier believed he was entitled.