Ex-Google Manager Can Sue for Age Bias

Lawyer Blogs

[##_1L|1246398454.jpg|width="130" height="130" alt=""|_##]A 54-year-old former Google Inc. manager who claimed he was fired after a supervisor told him his opinions were "too old to matter" had his age discrimination lawsuit reinstated. Reversing a Santa Clara County trial judge, the state's Sixth District Court of Appeal ruled Thursday that Brian Reid deserves to have a jury hear the evidence he amassed that he says shows Google routinely gave older managers lower evaluations and smaller bonuses than younger managers.

"Reid produced sufficient evidence that Google's (stated) reasons for terminating him were untrue or pretextual, and that Google acted with discriminatory motive such that a fact-finder would conclude Google engaged in age discrimination," Presiding Justice Conrad L. Rushing wrote.

The Mountain View-based search engine company has denied Reid's allegations but also refused to say why he was fired. In court documents, the company said Reid was fired when the program he managed was canceled.

Reid, a former associate electrical engineering professor at Stanford University, sued Google in July 2004, five months after he lost his job as its director of operations.

He alleged in his suit that his supervisors did not initially tell him why he was being fired. Director of Engineering Wayne Rosing, 55, eventually said he was not a good "cultural fit" at Google, where some colleagues referred to him as an "old guy" and "fuddy-duddy," Reid said.

Another supervisor, Urs Hoelzle allegedly said Reid, who is a diabetic, was too sluggish and "too old to matter" and his ideas were obsolete.

Reid is seeking back pay and punitive damages. He made $200,000 a year and lost stock options valued at millions of dollars when he lost his job.

Related listings

  • Court considers fraud lawsuit that will affect Enron

    Court considers fraud lawsuit that will affect Enron

    Lawyer Blogs 10/07/2007

    [##_1L|1176365914.jpg|width="180" height="122" alt=""|_##]The hopes of Enron investors are riding on a Supreme Court case that may be the last chance at compensation for their losses when the scandal-ridden energy company collapsed. Much of corporate...

  • NFL, Travis Henry in court battle over drug test

    NFL, Travis Henry in court battle over drug test

    Lawyer Blogs 10/05/2007

    [##_1L|1312529785.jpg|width="120" height="88" alt=""|_##]Broncos running back Travis Henry, who has a four-game substance-abuse suspension on his record from 2005, is battling the NFL in court over a new drug test, one that could lead to a one-year b...

  • FDA May Ease Prescription-Drug Rules

    FDA May Ease Prescription-Drug Rules

    Lawyer Blogs 10/04/2007

    The Food and Drug Administration may establish a "behind the counter" system allowing more drugs that currently require a prescription to be sold without one.In a notice set to be published in today's Federal Register, the agency announced a Nov. 14 ...

New Rochelle, New York Personal Injury Lawyers

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact Kommer, Bave & Ollman, LLP, in New Rochelle, New York, immediately. We can answer all your questions and work with you to determine if you have the grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. The attorneys at our firm are determined to resolve even the most difficult of cases. We will work closely with you to determine the best course of action to get your claim or case resolved in the most efficient way possible. We will fight for your right to compensation! No one should have to suffer a financial burden from the result of another person’s carelessness. The attorneys at Kommer, Bave & Ollman, LLP will aggressively fight to ensure that justice is served on your behalf.

Business News

New York & New Jersey Family Law Matters We represent our clients in all types of proceedings that include termination of parental rights. >> read