Google Dodges Gender Discrimination Class Action For Now

Seyfarth Synopsis: In Ellis v. Google, Inc., No. CGC-17-561299 (Cal Sup. Ct. Dec. 4, 2017), Judge Mary Wiss of the Superior Court of California granted a motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit brought by Google employees who claimed that all female Google employees are paid less than their counterparts. Specifically, Judge Wiss found that the plaintiffs failed to plead sufficient facts to conclude that Google paid all female employees less than their male counterparts, even though the complaint alleged that a statistical analysis "found systematic compensation disparities against women pretty much across the entire workforce." Id. at 4. This case represents a win for employers, who too often are forced to defend large class actions based on conclusory allegations.