Google, on Monday, fired the author of a controversial memo ripping the company’s diversity initiatives and what he believed to be the silencing of conservative viewpoints. Engineer James Damore confirmed to Bloomberg he had been fired by the company after Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai sent a note to employees Monday that portions of Damore’s screed “violate our Code of Conduct and cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace.”
In the 10-page note, Damore claimed that biological differences between men and women were the reason the company’s workforce and leadership were predominantly male. “After the controversy swelled, Danielle Brown, Google’s new vice president for diversity, integrity and governance, sent a statement to staff condemning Damore’s views and reaffirmed the company’s stance on diversity,” Bloomberg reports. “We are unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success as a company,” Brown said in the statement. “We’ll continue to stand for that and be committed to it for the long haul.”
