Google executive sacked after rejecting boss’s sexual advances
A Google executive claims the tech giant sacked him after he rejected sexual advances from his female boss.
The man said he reported the incident to the company’s human resources department, however nothing ever came of the complaint.
The alleged sexual harassment
Ryan Olohan, 48, is suing Google and his former boss, Tiffany Miller, the New York Post reports.
He accuses them of firing him after Ms Miller groped him at a restaurant in Manhattan, New York, in December 2019.
The alleged sexual harassment happened during a drunken company function after Google promoted Mr Olohan to managing director of food, beverages, and restaurants.
The promotion required Mr Olohan to join a new management team in Google’s Manhattan offices that included Ms Miller.
During the function, Ms Miller, director of Google’s programmatic media, allegedly told Mr Olohan that she knew he liked Asian women.
Ms Miller then allegedly rubbed Mr Olohan’s abs, complimented his physique, and told him her marriage lacked ‘spice’.”
Olohan said he reported Miller’s harassment to Google’s human resources department, however, nothing came of the complaint.
HR failed to act
Mr Olohan said he reported the issue to Google’s human resources department the following week, however, nothing ever came of the complaint.
The HR rep “openly admitted … that if the complaint was ‘in reverse’ — a female accusing a white male of harassment — the complaint would certainly be escalated,” according to court documents.
Mr Olohan claims Ms Miller then began retaliating against him.
For instance, she openly criticised him and reported him to human resources for “microaggressions”.
The retaliation allegedly continued at a Google-hosted event in December 2021 during which Ms Miller drunkenly admonished Mr Olohan in front of colleagues.
Ms Miller drunkenly berated Mr Olohan yet again during a company get-together at a karaoke bar in April 2022.
Google executive sacked
In August 2022, Google fired Mr Olohan, ending his employment after 16 years at the company.
The Google Employee Investigations team told him he failed to be “inclusive.”
When he asked why he was non-inclusive, Mr Olohan was told that he had shown favouritism towards high-performing employees.
They also accused him of being “ableist” for commenting on other employees’ “walking pace.”
Olohan’s lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, names both Google and Ms Miller as defendants.
He accuses them of discrimination, retaliation, and fostering a hostile work environment.
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Miller denies wrongdoing
In a statement, a spokesperson for Miller denied the accusations.
“This lawsuit is a fictional account of events filled with numerous falsehoods, fabricated by a disgruntled ex-employee, who was senior to Ms. Miller at Google,” the statement said.
“Ms. Miller never made any ‘advance’ toward Mr. Olohan, which witnesses can readily corroborate.”
Main picture: 400max/iStock
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