• 24
  • May
    2010

The California Supreme Court has three months to rule on a lawsuit in which Google is accused of practicing age discrimination, specifically regarding Brian Reid, a well-known computer engineer who was already over 50 when the company hired him in 2002. Less than two years later, literally days before Google announced its initial public offering, the company released Reid.

While Google representatives have maintained that he was simply not a cultural fit, Reid feels differently. His lawsuit includes examples of remarks made by other Google employees in which he was referred to as "an old fuddy-duddy" and "sluggish."

However, Google has argued that this is not enough evidence to pursue an age discrimination lawsuit - that a few errant comments are not enough to show that Google's atmosphere is one that prioritizes young workers, while shunning older employees.

This contention is one of the things justices of the California Supreme Court will rule on. The court will hear arguments from both sides in a San Francisco courtroom tomorrow and, if Reid is given permission to proceed, his case will go before a jury.

Google should be ready to face testimony from supposed experts who will testify that the company preferred younger workers. Individuals close to the company, like one former recruiter, will speak to the claim that Google did not like to hire older workers because of fears over lack of focus and creativity.

Reid lost out on millions of dollars in stock options when he was let go of Google in 2002. 

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