Google supervisor favored White employees, lawsuit alleges

Emilie Shumway

Mon, May 18, 2026 at 11:36 AM EDT 2 min read

This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter.

A former field service representative for Google’s Midwest Central region alleged in a lawsuit filed Thursday that his supervisor discriminated against him based on his race and subjected him to a hostile work environment (Cummings v. Google, LLC).

According to the complaint, the worker was hired in late 2022 as the only non-White FSR in the region. While he said his performance was “exceptional” and that he exceeded expectations for a first-year FSR, he alleged his supervisor was “openly hostile” and refused to offer him the level of support he offered others. 

Among other claims, the worker said his supervisor ignored requests for one-on-one meetings and a performance evaluation, excluded him from key meetings, deleted his business accounts and applied the wrong metrics to evaluate him. 

At the same time, he said, the supervisor tried to add another FSR into a professional relationship the plaintiff had developed and “berated” him when he questioned the move. The supervisor also allegedly transferred one of the plaintiff’s highest revenue-generating accounts to a less experienced colleague and provided performance support to yet another colleague that he did not offer to the plaintiff.

The supervisor fired the worker in August 2025 for poor performance, according to the complaint, even though there was allegedly only one other FSR in the region who was more productive at the time.

Google and attorneys for the plaintiff did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

The worker alleged disparate treatment based on race as well as a hostile work environment, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He also alleged violations of Illinois state law. 

He is seeking back and front pay, compensatory and punitive damages and a jury trial.

Recommended Reading

• Employer settles claim alleging deadnaming, derogatory comments were sex-based harassment