Google to pay $28 million to settle claims it favored white and Asian employees

March 18 (Reuters) - Google agreed to pay $28 million to settle a class action lawsuit claiming that it favored white and Asian employees by paying them more and putting them on higher career tracks than other workers.

The accord with Google, a unit of Alphabet, won preliminary approval last week from Judge Charles Adams of the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California.

He called the settlement fair, reasonable and "a good result for the class" of at least 6,632 Google employees in California between February 15, 2018, and December 31, 2024.

Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini confirmed the settlement on Tuesday, but said, "We continue to disagree with the allegations that we treated anyone differently, and remain committed to paying, hiring and leveling all employees fairly."

The lawsuit was led by Ana Cantu, who identifies as Mexican and racially Indigenous, on behalf of Hispanic, Latinx, Indigenous, Native American, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and Alaska Native employees at Google.

Cantu said she performed exemplary work over seven years in Google's people operations and cloud departments, yet languished at the same job level while white and Asian peers got extra pay and promotions.

Cantu said the Mountain View, California-based company put white and Asian employees in higher job "levels" than other employees, even for the same work, and withheld raises and promotions from those who complained.

Cantu said Google's actions violated the California Equal Pay Act. She left Google in September 2021.

Adams said the settlement came after Cantu's lawyers agreed this month to exclude Black employees from the proposed class, which Google had sought.

Net settlement proceeds total $20.4 million, after deducting $7 million for legal fees, penalties tied to Cantu's claim under California's Private Attorneys General Act, and other costs.

Adams scheduled a September 11 hearing to consider final settlement approval.

Cantu's lawyers did not immediately respond on Tuesday to requests for comment.

The case is Cantu v Google LLC et al, California Superior Court, Santa Clara County, No. 21CV392049. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)