Google's being sued for paying millions of dollars to former execs accused of sexual harassment [Update]
Google had a big presence at this week's CES 2019 trade show, but with a new lawsuit being issued against the company from shareholders, it might have to get ready to make an appearance in court.
James Martin, a shareholder of Google's parent company Alphabet, filed a lawsuit against the company at the San Mateo Superior Court claiming that Google breached its trust with shareholders when it paid millions of dollars to former executives who had been accused of sexual harassment.
Updated January 11, 2019 — Andy Rubin's lawyer says the lawsuit 'mischaracterizes' his departure from the company
Just a day after the lawsuit was issued, Andy Rubin's lawyer, Ellen Winick Stross, has already responded with the following statement:
Part of the lawsuit reads as follows:
In addition to the former execs needing to pay back the money they received from Google as a result of their payouts, the lawsuit also calls for three new independent directors to join Alphabet's official board.
News of these payouts first surfaced in late October last year, with the two former executives including Android's creator Andy Rubin and former head of Google Search Amit Singhal.
Google buried 'credible' sexual misconduct claims against Andy Rubin
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Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.