“This lawsuit simply repeats much of the recent media coverage, mischaracterizes Andy’s departure from Google and sensationalizes claims made about Andy by his ex-wife,” Mr. Rubin’s lawyer, Ellen Stross, said in a statement Monday. “Andy acknowledges having had a consensual relationship with a Google employee. However, Andy strongly denies any misconduct, and we look forward to telling his story in court.”
The payout for Mr. Rubin sparked widespread outrage at Google and, last fall, prompted a walkout of 20,000 employees who demanded that the company improve its handling of harassment claims. After the walkout, Google ended its practice of forced arbitration for claims of sexual harassment or assault.
Google Walkout for Real Change, the organizer of the walkout, said a statement Monday: “The details of these outrageous exit packages, signed off personally by Google’s executives, are a symptom of a culture that protects and awards all harassers. Google is badly in need of accountable leadership and real, systemic changes.”
The lawsuit also provided a window into the workings of Alphabet’s board and the power exerted by Larry Page, a co-founder of Google and Alphabet’s chief executive.
According to the suit, the board’s compensation committee proposed paying Mr. Rubin a salary of $650,000 in April 2014 with the opportunity for him to get a bonus of more than double his salary. At the time, Mr. Rubin was an adviser to Google and no longer running the Android business.
The lawsuit said Mr. Rubin had declined to accept that pay package until he had spoken to Mr. Page. In August 2014, Mr. Page awarded a $150 million stock grant to Mr. Rubin.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/11/technology/google-misconduct-exit-package.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.