Google is accused in lawsuit of systemic bias against Black employees

FILE PHOTO: A sign is pictured outside a Google office near the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California, U.S., May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Paresh Dave/File Photo

(Reuters) - A lawsuit filed on Friday accuses Google of systemic racial bias against Black employees, saying the search engine company steers them to lower-level jobs, pays them less and denies them opportunities to advance because of their race.

According to a complaint seeking class-action status, Google maintains a "racially biased corporate culture" that favors white men, where Black people comprise only 4.4% of employees and about 3% of leadership and its technology workforce.