Google Under Investigation by Alphabet for Their Sexual Harassment Handling

The board of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, launched an internal investigation into how the company handles cases of sexual harassment and misconduct charges, reported CNBC. 

Earlier this year, shareholders filed lawsuits, prompting the board to look into how Google dealt with the claims.

Forming a "special committee", the board will dive into the shareholders' claims.

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What happened at Google that lead to the investigation?

Sexual harassment claims as well as how they were handled led thousands of Google employees to conduct a coordinated worldwide walkout of their offices in November 2018. 

Alphabet shareholders sued the board in January this year for their alleged covering up of sexual misconduct by top executives. 

The top executives in question, among others, are as follows: 

• David Drummond: Google's chief legal officer had an affair with another colleague, Jennifer Blakely, a Google lawyer at the time. Their relationship went against the company's policies regarding managers dating their employees. 
• Andy Rubin: One of the founders of Android who supposedly coerced another colleague to "perform oral sex in a hotel room in 2013," according to the New York Times. Rubin was let go and was offered $90 million as a payout from the company. 
• Amit Singhal: Former senior search vice president who was paid $15 million in severance pay by Google after allegations of sexual harassment against him arose. 

In response to the announcement, a Google spokesperson stated: "As has already been confirmed in public court filings, in early 2019, Alphabet’s Board of Directors formed a special litigation committee to consider claims made by shareholders in various lawsuits relating to past workplace conduct."

.@CNBC reporting that Google parent Alphabet's board is investigating its executives over sexual misconduct. @dee_bosa brings us the details, and the traders share their instant reactions. $GOOGL pic.twitter.com/8FcK1dSIZy

— CNBC's Fast Money (@CNBCFastMoney) November 6, 2019

Google has yet to make any comments on the actual allegations.