---
title: Corporate Counsel Turns to Partner Barbara Hoey to Discuss the Controversial Firing of a Google Engineer for Sexist Remarks
date: 2017-08-09T00:00:00-04:00
author: Import Bot
canonical_url: "https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/corporate-counsel-turns-to-partner-barbara-hoey-to-discuss-the-controversial-firing-of-a-google-engineer-for-sexist-remarks"
section: News
---
# *Corporate Counsel* Turns to Partner Barbara Hoey to Discuss the Controversial Firing of a Google Engineer for Sexist Remarks

 August 9, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Corporate Counsel* turned to [Barbara Hoey](https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/vle7BgCXK5m9ca) in the article ​“Google Engineer Firing: ​‘No-Brainer’ or More Complicated” discussing Google’s firing of a software engineer after he distributed a controversial memo on gender diversity. Google is treading a fine line between protected workplace speech and rhetoric that creates a hostile work environment.

According to Barbara, Google firing this employee was both unequivocally legal and also just the right thing to do. Barbara stated, ​“In the context of this memo, you do exactly what Google did. It’s a no-brainer.”

Barbara explains that federal law allows an employee to make legitimate work complaints in a reasonable manner. ​“I think he \[the employee who was fired\] failed on both counts,” she added. His work complaint morphed into ​“absolutely stereotyped statements about an entire class of people, and the way he chose to communicate it was ​‘inappropriate and disruptive of the workplace.’”

To read the article, click [here.](https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/nKoOBwt6Wwa7SV) Access may require subscription.

 

 

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