According to Reuters, the US government has sued Google over its treatment of an Army Reserve employee. The complaint claims the company failed to return him to his former role after a year of military leave. Moreover, it says Google never offered him a comparable job.
Federal prosecutors filed the case on Thursday in a Manhattan federal court. It is a rare example of Washington suing a private employer under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, known as USERRA. This law protects the civilian jobs of service members who are called to active duty.
Who Is Mark Davisson?
Mark Davisson worked at Google for two and a half years before his leave. He served as a strategic account executive in the cloud business. His clients included the asset manager BlackRock and the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates. In addition, he managed the former Credit Suisse business in the United States.
The complaint describes his military record in detail. Davisson received the Bronze Star Medal and a separate military merit medal. Today he lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. While he worked at Google, however, he lived and worked in Manhattan.
What the Complaint Alleges
Davisson returned to work in May 2023 after his leave ended. According to the complaint, Google then stopped giving him any client accounts. His salary and job title stayed the same. However, he lost the chance to advance his career.
In January 2024, Google moved him to a cloud solutions role. That job also involved no client account management. Seven months later, he took another period of military leave. After he returned, Google fired him during a broad round of layoffs.
Google Rejects the Claims
Google spokesperson Atle Erlingsson responded by email. He said, “We disagree with the allegations in the complaint. Google follows employment laws, including USERRA, and we investigate every report of workplace misconduct.” Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has its headquarters in Mountain View, California.
The Administration Backs the Case
The civil rights unit of the Manhattan US Attorney’s office brought the lawsuit. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon supports the effort. She serves as the top civil rights official in the Trump administration.
The plaintiffs seek Davisson’s lost wages, benefits, and additional damages. They also ask the court to order Google to build a workplace free of discrimination. That would include stronger USERRA training for employees.
Manhattan US Attorney Jamie McDonald addressed the case in a statement. He said, “Federal law guarantees that our brave service members – who sacrifice so much to protect us – will not face unfair treatment from their employers when they return to civilian work.”
