Google gender debacle speaks to tech culture wars, politics
NEW YORK — The Google engineer who blamed biological differences for the paucity of women in tech had every right to express his views. And Google likely had every right to fire him, workplace experts and lawyers say.
Special circumstances — from the country’s divisive political climate to Silicon Valley’s broader problem with gender equity — contributed to the outrage and subsequent firing. But the fallout should still serve as a warning to anyone in any industry expressing unpopular, fiery viewpoints.
“Anyone who makes a statement like this and expects to stick around … is foolish,” said David Lewis, CEO of Operations Inc., a human resources consulting firm.
WHY HE LOST HIS JOB