Silke Jasso
A Google executive is claiming he was fired by the tech company for rejecting a high-ranking female boss’ sexual advances at a company dinner. 48-year-old Ryan Olohan is accusing Tiffany Miller, one of its top executives, of firing him after she groped him at a Chelsea restaurant back in December 2019.
Videos by Rare
She allegedly told him that she knew he liked Asian women, this according to a federal lawsuit that was filed on November 30th in Manhattan. Miller, who is director of Google’s programmatic media, allegedly rubbed Olohan’s abs, told him her marriage lacked “spice,” and complimented his physique, according to court papers.
The incident occurred during a “drunken” company gathering at Fig & Olive on West 13th Street after Olohan was promoted to managing director of food, beverages, and restaurants. He had joined a new management course that included Miller in Google’s Manhattan offices.
According to the lawsuit, Olohan, who is married and a father of seven, was initially uncomfortable bringing up the incident due to several of his colleagues being drunk. His coworkers eventually went on to say that the behavior was “Tiffany being Tiffany,” according to court papers.
Olhan stated he reported the issue to Google’s HR department the following week, but nothing came of the said complaint. According to the lawsuit, The HR rep “openly admitted … that if the complaint was ‘in reverse’ — a female accusing a white male of harassment — the complaint would certainly be escalated.”
Olohan v. Google LLC
The father claims that as soon as he made the complaint, Miller began retaliating against him by criticizing him and reporting him to HR for “microaggressions,” but the complaint doesn’t necessarily say what Miller accused him of.
The retaliation allegedly had continued at a Google–hosted event back in December 2021 where Miller drunkenly reprimanded Olohnan in front of his colleagues. According to the lawsuit, the comments were so bad that colleagues encouraged Miller to move to the other side of the table. Miller went on to apologize, and “although Google was aware that Miller’s continued harassment of Olohan stemmed from his rejection of her sexual advances, it again took no action.”
In April 2022, Miller went on to drunkenly berate him again at a company get-together at a karaoke bar, where she mocked him as soon as he arrived and reiterated that she knew he preferred Asian women over White women.
The suit goes on to say Olohan felt increasing pressure from his supervisor, who had told him there were “obviously too many white guys” on his management team. In July, he was encouraged to fire a male employee in order to make room for a woman on his team. The following month, Google fired Olohan after 16 years with the company.
During a video conference call, he was told by the Google Employee Investigation team that he was fired because he wasn’t “inclusive.” When asked why he wasn’t non-inclusive, he was told that he had shown favoritism towards High performing employees, saying he was “ableist” for commenting on other employees’ “walking pace.”
The lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages, names both Miller and Google as defendants, and accuses them of retaliation, fostering a hostile work environment, and discrimination.
Back in September Olohan joined the Klick Group, which is an advertising company that focuses on life sciences, as Executive Vice President of Growth.
