Google Settles Disability Lawsuit

Newman first filed the lawsuit in May 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California He accused Google of wrongful termination, disability discrimination, retaliation, and failure to accommodate under the Americans with Disabilities Act and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act.

Newman has hired in 2018 and after receiving positive reviews and merit bonuses, he was promoted to technical strategy lead for Google’s G Suite in May 2020. He suffered a bipolar episode at work two months later.

According to Newman’s lawsuit, Google violated federal and state law when the company fired him after he took short-term disability leaves in late 2020 and early 2021. During two manic episodes, Newman sent numerous emails — including offers to buy G Suite for billions of dollars — while affected by the illness, according to his complaint. Newman’s wife informed his direct supervisor of the diagnosis in July 2020 after he sent the first emails, and he took short-term leave that month. Newman had another manic episode three months later: he emailed a Canadian colleague that was characterized as threatening by Google. In his lawsuit, Newman attests the messages “clearly depicted he was unwell and mentally disabled, but none were malicious or genuinely threatening.”  Newman went back on medical leave in late October and was under the care of a bipolar disorder specialist, who told Google that Newman was not dangerous and was willing to take medication for treatment. His disability benefits were extended twice through January 2021.

Wrongful Termination?

According to Newman, he contacted Google in January 2021 to discuss a return date, but the company informed him that an investigation was underway. Newman cooperated with the investigation but he was fired in April 2021 without severance for violating its code of conduct. In a motion for summary judgement, Google claimed that his termination was lawful due to emails Newman sent to a former supervisor threatening violence. Newman argued that he was venting frustration due to his mental disorder. Google, however, wasn’t required to rely on hopes that Newman wouldn’t make these threats again, reported Law360.

In June, Newman and Google met for a settlement conference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore, and they reached an agreement. The court subsequently canceled all hearings related to Google’s bid for summary judgment. The case is Newman v. Google LLC, case number 3:22-cv-02799, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.