$50M Google Racial Discrimination Class Action Settlement, Are You Eligible to Claim?

The Google Racial Discrimination Settlement is an employment class action where eligible Black and Black+ Google employees can receive an individualized cash payment from a $50,000,000 fund by submitting a claim form at curleysettlement.com. Google allegedly subjected Black employees in California and New York to systemic race discrimination in hiring, pay, promotions, and performance reviews. The settlement received preliminary approval on December 7, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The final approval hearing is scheduled for May 7, 2026.

Quick Facts

Field	Detail
Settlement Amount	$50,000,000
Claim Deadline	TBD — class members will receive a separate notice with claim instructions after final court approval on May 7, 2026
Who Qualifies	Black or Black+ Google employees in job levels 3–6 in California (March 18, 2018 – Dec. 31, 2023) or New York (Oct. 15, 2017 – Dec. 31, 2023)
Payout Per Person	Varies — determined individually by trustee and neutral evaluators based on each claimant’s experiences and harm
Proof Required	Not applicable at this stage — individualized claim process used after final approval
Settlement Status	Preliminarily Approved
Administrator	Atticus Administration, PO Box 64053, St. Paul, MN 55164 · 1-800-401-4804 · [email protected]
Official Website	curleysettlement.com
Last Updated	April 21, 2026

Current Status & What Happens Next

• Final approval hearing is set for May 7, 2026. Judge Kandis Westmore of the Northern District of California will determine whether to grant final approval to the $50 million settlement at that hearing.
• The opt-out deadline has passed (March 20, 2026). Class members who did not opt out by that date remain in the settlement class and will be bound by the outcome.
• Claim forms have not yet been released. Eligible class members will receive a separate notice from Atticus Administration after the court grants final approval, with full instructions for submitting a claim.

What Is the Google Lawsuit About? Curley et al. v. Google LLC, No. 4:22-cv-01735-KAW

April Curley, a former Google university outreach specialist hired to build relationships with historically Black colleges and universities, filed this lawsuit in March 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Curley alleged that Google maintained a “racially biased corporate structure” in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 1981, and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). She claimed she was stereotyped, denied promotions, and terminated in 2020 after compiling a report on racial disparities at the company.

The lawsuit named additional plaintiffs — Desiree Mayon, Ronika Lewis, Rayna Reid, Anim Aweh, and Ebony Thomas — and was brought with attorneys from Stowell & Friedman, Ltd., Ben Crump Law, and Sani Law. Court filings revealed that Black employees represented just 4.4% of Google’s total workforce and only 3% of leadership roles as of 2021. The complaint alleged Google used terms like “Googleyness” as coded language that functioned to screen out Black candidates and employees. Consumers and workers harmed by discriminatory employment systems — including pay suppression and blocked advancement — can find broader context in our guide to employment class action lawsuits.

Following months of litigation and mediation led by mediator Hunter Hughes, the parties reached a settlement agreement in March 2025. The parties agreed to both monetary relief (the $50 million fund) and nonmonetary reforms, including Google’s commitment to continue race-based pay equity analysis, maintain a ban on using salary history in compensation decisions, and suspend mandatory arbitration for employment disputes through August 2026. Google denied all wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid the risks and costs of continued litigation.

Who Is Eligible for the Google Settlement?

You may qualify if Google’s records identify you as Black or Black+ (meaning Black or African American combined with one or more other races or ethnicities).

You may qualify if you worked at Google in job levels 3, 4, 5, or 6.

You may qualify if your position was located in California at any time from March 18, 2018, through December 31, 2023.

You may qualify if your position was located in New York at any time from October 15, 2017, through December 31, 2023.

You may qualify if you received a settlement notice mailed to you directly from Atticus Administration — this means Google’s records already identified you as a class member.

You do NOT qualify if you held a job exclusively in a legal job family or subfamily at Google.

You do NOT qualify if you signed a general release of claims against Google between October 15, 2017 (New York) or March 18, 2018 (California) and December 7, 2025.

Important: The settlement administrator and class counsel maintain the official list of eligible individuals. If you did not receive a notice, you are most likely not on the eligible list. Contact Atticus Administration at 1-800-401-4804 or [email protected] to verify your status.

How Much Money Can You Get from the Google Settlement?

The $50 million total fund does not divide equally among class members. After deducting up to $12,500,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs, up to $150,000 in service awards for the three named class representatives (up to $50,000 each), and settlement administration costs, the remaining net fund distributes to eligible claimants.

There is no fixed minimum or maximum payment. A trustee and independent neutral evaluators will review each submitted claim and recommend an individual payment amount based on:

• Length of service at Google
• Job level held during the class period
• Experiences of discrimination — including pay inequity, biased leveling, exclusion, lack of advancement, and hostile work environment
• Whether a complaint was filed internally or with a government agency
• Retaliation experienced after raising concerns
• Financial and emotional harm, including post-Google income loss and documented distress

The individualized process means some claimants will receive more based on the severity and documentation of their experiences. Payments will be mailed as checks to addresses on file with the administrator. Class members must cash checks within 90 days of the issue date. For context on how similar employment settlements have paid out.

Step-by-Step: How to File Your Google Curley Claim Form

Note: Claim forms have not yet been released. Class members do not file a claim now. After the court grants final approval at the May 7, 2026 hearing, Atticus Administration will send eligible class members a separate notice with full claim instructions. When the claim process opens, follow these steps:

Step 1 — Watch for your official claim notice mailed by Atticus Administration to your address on file.

Step 2 — Visit curleysettlement.com to access the claim form when it becomes available.

Step 3 — Enter your personal and employment details, including your job level, location, and dates of employment.

Step 4 — Describe your experiences of discrimination, retaliation, or other harm in your claim narrative.

Step 5 — Submit your completed claim form online or by mail before the deadline posted on the official settlement website.

Step 6 — Save your confirmation number and update your mailing address with the administrator if it has changed.

Estimated time to complete: 15–30 minutes, depending on the detail of your claim narrative.

Important Deadlines & Dates

Milestone	Date
Lawsuit Filed	March 2022
Settlement Agreement Reached	March 2025
Preliminary Approval Granted	December 7, 2025
Opt-Out Deadline	March 20, 2026 (passed)
Rescind Opt-Out Deadline	May 6, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	May 7, 2026
Claim Filing Deadline	TBD — claim portal not yet open; deadline will be posted by Atticus Administration after final approval
Expected Payment Date	TBD — determined after final approval, resolution of any appeals, and completion of the individual claims review process

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a lawyer to file a claim? 

No. Eligible class members can submit their own claim form directly at curleysettlement.com after the court grants final approval. Class counsel — Stowell & Friedman, Ltd., Ben Crump Law, and Sani Law — already represents the class. You do not need to hire a separate attorney to participate.

Is this settlement legitimate?

 Yes. The settlement is a court-supervised proceeding in Curley et al. v. Google LLC, Case No. 4:22-cv-01735-KAW, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis Westmore in the Northern District of California. Atticus Administration (1-800-401-4804) is the court-approved settlement administrator.

When will I receive my payment? 

Payments will not be issued until after final court approval on May 7, 2026, resolution of any appeals, and completion of the individual claims review process by the trustee and neutral evaluators. A realistic timeline for checks to arrive is likely late 2026 or early 2027, depending on claim volume.

What if I missed the claim deadline? 

The claim portal has not yet opened, so no deadline has passed. Monitor curleysettlement.com for updates. If the claim period later closes and you missed it, you will receive no monetary payment but will still be bound by the release of claims unless you opted out before March 20, 2026.

Will this settlement payment affect my taxes? 

Potentially yes. Portions of your payment attributable to lost wages may be subject to federal and state income tax and payroll taxes. Portions attributable to emotional distress or non-wage harm may receive different treatment. Consult a tax professional regarding your specific situation.

How is my individual payment calculated? 

The trustee and independent neutral evaluators review each claim and weigh factors including your length of service, job level, documented discrimination experiences, whether you filed an internal or external complaint, retaliation suffered, and financial and emotional harm. There is no fixed payout amount — every class member’s award is determined individually based on their specific circumstances.

What nonmonetary relief does the settlement include? 

Google agreed to continue conducting race-based pay equity analyses, refrain from using salary history when making compensation decisions, and suspend enforcement of mandatory arbitration agreements for employment disputes through August 2026. These practice changes apply to Google’s workforce beyond the named class.

I did not receive a settlement notice — can I still file a claim? 

If you did not receive a mailed notice, Google’s records most likely do not identify you as a class member. Contact Atticus Administration at 1-800-401-4804 or [email protected] to check whether you appear on the eligible class list before the claim process opens.

Sources & References

1. Official Settlement Website: curleysettlement.com
2. Settlement Documents (Class Notice & Agreement): curleysettlement.com/settlement-documents/
3. Important Dates: curleysettlement.com/important-dates/
4. Court Docket — CourtListener: Curley v. Google LLC, No. 4:22-cv-01735-KAW
5. Courthouse News Service (Dec. 8, 2025): Preliminary approval coverage — courthousenews.com

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against the official settlement website at curleysettlement.com and the CourtListener docket for Case No. 4:22-cv-01735-KAW. Last Updated: April 21, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.