Google hit with lawsuit over alleged pregnancy discrimination

A former software engineer has filed a sweeping employment lawsuit against Google, alleging she was discriminated against and ultimately fired after taking leave related to two separate pregnancies.

The US-based ex-employee claims the technology giant failed to accommodate a high-risk pregnancy, interfered with her protected medical leave rights, and wrongfully terminated her shortly after she requested leave.

According to the complaint, the engineer informed her direct supervisor in mid-July 2024 that she was pregnant and would require maternity leave later that year.

Soon after, she says she was forced to undergo an emergency pregnancy termination following a diagnosis that the fetus had a serious genetic condition. She subsequently took several days of sick leave and roughly four weeks of bereavement leave.

When she returned to work in September 2024, the plaintiff alleges she received a low third-quarter performance “check-in” rating despite being on leave for much of the evaluation period.

She maintains that she met project requirements during the fourth quarter and completed her deliverables by year-end, yet still received a low rating for all of 2024.

When she questioned the assessment, the lawsuit claims her supervisor cited her time off for surgery and bereavement as causing “slow velocity” and “project delay,” which allegedly justified the downgrade.

Next-day termination

In February 2025, the plaintiff says she informed the same supervisor that she was pregnant again. Given her prior complications, the pregnancy was considered high-risk, and she indicated she expected to begin maternity leave in early July, the complaint states.

Following that disclosure, the lawsuit alleges her supervisor began requiring detailed weekly milestone plans and then “aggressively” increased performance demands.

The engineer contends she continued meeting expectations despite mounting stress and medical risks. On 7 May 2025, after allegedly slipping and falling down stairs and experiencing severe stress, she emailed her supervisor stating that, on her obstetrician’s advice, she needed to take immediate leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.

She began leave on 8 May. The following day i.e. on 9 May, she received an email stating her employment was terminated effective immediately for “not meeting the expectations of the role,” according to the complaint.

The plaintiff says she had never been placed on a formal performance-improvement plan or given written discipline prior to her dismissal.

Legal claims against Google

In the lawsuit, the former engineer accuses Google of gender and disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, and interference with medical leave rights.

She alleges her pregnancies and pregnancy-related leave, including the high-risk pregnancy, were substantial factors behind both her downgraded performance reviews and eventual termination.

The complaint further contends the company failed to provide reasonable accommodations or engage in the legally required interactive process before ending her employment.

Additionally, she claims Google violated her rights under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act and Washington state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave programme by terminating her and failing to reinstate her after she sought protected leave.

The suit also alleges wrongful termination in violation of public policy, arguing her dismissal conflicts with legal protections for pregnant and disabled workers who take or request protected medical leave.

The plaintiff is seeking back pay and front pay, lost benefits, medical expenses, and damages for emotional distress.