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Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo
More stories by Mark BergenAugust 7, 2017, 9:21 PM EDT
Alphabet Inc.’s Google has fired an employee who wrote an internal memo blasting the web company’s diversity policies, creating a firestorm across Silicon Valley.
James Damore, the Google engineer who wrote the note, confirmed his dismissal in an email, saying that he had been fired for "perpetuating gender stereotypes." A Google representative didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
Google’s Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai sent a note to employees on Monday that said portions of the employee’s memo "violate our Code of Conduct and cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace." But he didn’t say if the company was taking action against the employee.
Damore’s 10-page memorandum accused Google of silencing conservative political opinions and argued that biological differences play a role in the shortage of women in tech and leadership positions. It circulated widely inside the company and became public over the weekend, causing a furor that amplified the pressure on Google executives to take a more definitive stand.
report, 69 percent of its workforce and 80 percent of its technical staff are male.