Google Fired Author of Divisive Memo on Gender Differences

Google has fired an employee who wrote an internal memo blasting the web company’s diversity policies, creating a firestorm across Silicon Valley, according to Bloomberg.

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.“ He said he’s “currently exploring all possible legal remedies.“

Earlier on Monday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai sent a note to employees that said portions of the 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. A Google representative, asked about the dismissal, referred to Pichai’s memo.

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.

The memo and surrounding debate comes as Google fends off a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Labor alleging the company systemically discriminates against women. Google has denied the charges, arguing that it doesn’t have a gender gap in pay, but has declined to share full salary information with the government. According to the company’s most recent demographic report, 69 percent of its workforce and 80 percent of its technical staff are male.

This has also triggered a social-media backlash with the firing of an employee who had blasted the company’s diversity policies, fueling tension over an issue roiling Silicon Valley. Some right-wing websites lionized Damore and accused the company of censoring conservative views. Firing the engineer could be seen as confirming some of the claims in the memo itself that the company’s culture makes no room for dissenting political opinions.

James Damore said he was “exploring all possible legal remedies“ after the internet giant terminated him. But unlike government employees, who have some free speech protections, private employees in the U.S. have little legal recourse if companies choose to retaliate for things they say at work or at home. In fact, most non-union private sector employees can be fired for almost any reason, or no reason at all.