LAWSUIT CLAIMS GOOGLE DISCRIMINATES
FRANCISCO» A Google SAN engineer fired for writing a memo questioning Google’s commitment to diversity has filed a lawsuit alleging his ouster was driven by a corporate culture that discriminates against white men and people with conservative views.
The 161-page complaint filed Monday on behalf of James Damore and another former Google engineer depicts Google as an elitist company that shuns employees who dare to deviate from a liberal agenda embraced by its management and most of its workforce.
The lawsuit was filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court and comes five months after Google fired Damore for writing a 10page memo entitled “Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber.” In that missive, Damore criticized Google for pushing mentoring and diversity programs and for “alienating conservatives.” He also blamed biological differences for the paucity of women in tech.
GoPro expects revenue
slump. YORK» GoPro NEW expects 4Q revenue slump on weak sales as it slashes workforce and drones. The company expects a 37 percent drop in 4Q revenue and will cut more than 20 percent of its staff. It is also exiting the drone market, citing tough competition and regulations.
Emory University gets $400 million gift.
ATLANTA» Georgia’s Emory University is receiving a $400 million gift — the largest in the history of the institution — to find new cures for disease and improve lives. The private school in Atlanta on Monday announced that the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation has pledged the money for medical advances and to enhance people’s health.
Americans borrowed more in November.
WASHINGTON» U.S. consumers ran up nearly $28 billion in new debt on their credit cards and in the form of new auto and student loans, a sign of growing confidence in the economy. The Federal Reserve says that consumer borrowing grew 8.8 percent, to $3.83 trillion.
BBC’s China editor resigns.
BEIJING» The BBC’s China editor has resigned her position in Beijing in protest over what she called a failure to sufficiently address a gap in compensation between men and women at the public broadcaster. Carrie Gracie’s departure is the latest aftershock from the corporation’s forced publication last year of pay levels for its top earners that showed two-thirds of those in the top bracket were men.