Ross Lajeunesse, who had served as Google’s head of international relations, had been with the company for a decade before leaving in 2018. Lajeunesse is now a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine. “Standing up for women, for the LGBTQ community, for colleagues of color, and for human rights—had cost me my career,” Lajeunesse writes in Medium. “To me, no additional evidence was needed that “Don’t be evil” was no longer a true reflection of the company’s values; it was now nothing more than just another corporate marketing tool.”
Lajeunesse writes that where Google once stood up to China’s government over censorship, it would eventually conduct business primarily focused on greater profits. “Just when Google needed to double down on a commitment to human rights, it decided to instead chase bigger profits and an even higher stock price,” he writes. “It was no different in the workplace culture. Senior colleagues bullied and screamed at young women, causing them to cry at their desks. At an all-hands meeting, my boss said, ‘Now you Asians come to the microphone too. I know you don’t like to ask questions.’”