The technology giant Google became mired in a controversy in August after one of its engineers claimed that women were unsuited to work in the technology sector because of their biological characteristics. Google subsequently fired him, but the ensuing media storm has prompted several other women formerly employed by Google to step forward with accounts of sexual and racial discrimination and harassment at the company's California headquarters.
Activists push for Title VII protection of sexual orientation
The lawsuit against the employer of a skydiving instructor should pique the interest of people in California concerned about workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. According to court filings, the employer stands accused of firing the man because of his sexual orientation. The case has gained national attention now that the Department of Justice has filed an amicus brief insisting that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not protect people from discrimination because of sexual orientation.
