A former Google exec has claimed he was fired from the tech giant after rebuffing his boss’s advances when she allegedly groped him at a fancy dinner, leading her to accuse him of “microaggressions”.
Ryan Olohan, 48, a married father of seven from New Jersey, alleges Tiffany Miller rubbed his abs, told him he had a beautiful body and their marriage lacked “spice,” according to a lawsuit filed in November.
Miller, who is Asian, told Olohan she knew he likes Asian women — referring to his wife, who is also Asian.
The alleged incident happened at Manhattan’s Fig & Olive restaurant in December 2019, which Olohan reported to human resources over the next week, but the complaint never materialized. And that this was just the beginning of the harassment.
Olohan claims Miller began getting back at him by reporting him to human resources for “microaggression.” He claims the harassment continued until he was finally fired in August 2022 after 16 years with the company.
Former Google executive Ryan Olohan, 48, claims he was fired after turning down advances from boss Tiffany Miller, who allegedly groped him at Manhattan’s Fig & Olive restaurant
According to a lawsuit filed in November, Google executive Tiffany Miller is accused of rubbing Olohan’s abs and telling him he had a beautiful body and that their marriage lacked “spice.”
Olohan had just been promoted to general manager of food, beverage and restaurants and was joining a new management team that included Miller when the alleged company outing incident happened.
The New Jersey father said he was initially uncomfortable bringing it up because many of his peers “drank alcohol to excess.”
When he suggested later that night that Miller might have “drank too much,” he was told it was just “Tiffany be Tiffany.”
Olohan reported the incident to Google’s human resources department, which “openly admitted that if the complaint were ‘the reverse’ — a woman accusing a white man of harassment — the complaint would certainly escalate,” the lawsuit says.
There was no discussion or investigation into the incident, and Olohan alleges in the lawsuit that there was retaliation from Miller after he filed his complaint with Human Resources.
Managers were present in two cases mentioned in the lawsuit, in which Miller allegedly criticized him and reported him to human resources for “microaggression”.
Google’s human resources business partner Jacky Schiestel agreed that Miller was “petty” on both counts and that there were no micro-aggressions from Olohan.
Olohan said Miller’s retaliation and hostility scared him and made him feel like he was on parole.
Olohan had just been promoted to general manager of food, beverage and restaurants and was joining a new management team that included Miller when the alleged incident happened at the staff outing at the Fig & Olive restaurant at 420 W 13th Street in Manhattan
The New Jersey father said he was initially uncomfortable bringing it up because many of his peers “drank alcohol to excess.” Pictured: Fig & Olive in Manhattan
When he suggested later that night that Miller might have “drank too much,” he was told it was just “Tiffany be Tiffany.”
It continued at an event hosted by Google in December 2021, where Miller drunkenly rebuked him in front of scores of Google employees, and Olohan loudly told Olohan that she “disagreed with him 70 percent of the time” and “put him in 70 percent don’t like it.” the time.’
Miller later apologized to Olohan and admitted she was “very drunk.”
But “although Google was aware that Miller’s ongoing harassment of Olohan stemmed from his rejection of her sexual advances, it again took no action,” the lawsuit reads.
Olohan said he felt increasing pressure from his manager Adam Stewart, who told him in February 2022 that there were “obviously too many white people” in his management team, according to the lawsuit.
Alleged retaliation from Miller continued and in an April 2022 incident, Olohan alleges he was drunkenly verbally abused by Miller during a staff outing at a karaoke bar.
The lawsuit alleges that Miller taunted him in front of Google employees and reiterated that she knew he preferred Asian women over white women.
After his release, Olohan joined the Klick Group as executive vice president of growth. He also owns an ice cream shop in New Jersey
Ryan Olahan, former Google chief executive officer for food, beverage and restaurants, with his wife Anne Lee Olohan and Michelle Obama in a photo posted to his Facebook page on September 1, 2022
In June 2022, Schiestel informed Olohan that a human resources employee had complained about him, and about three weeks later, Olohan informed Schiestel that the complaint was filed at Miller’s behest in retaliation for his rejection of her sexual advances.
In June, Olohan was ordered to only hire female applicants for the team, and in July he was encouraged to fire a male employee to make room for a woman on his team, the lawsuit says.
The following month, Google fired Olohan, ending his tenure after 16 years with the company.
During a video conference call, Olohan said he was told by the Google Employee Investigations team that he was being fired for not being “inclusive.”
Google’s employee investigations team said it preferred high performers it deemed “non-inclusive,” commenting on the walking pace and hustle and bustle of employees, which it deemed “out-of-work.”
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and names both Google and Miller as defendants alleging discrimination, retaliation and encouraging a hostile work environment.
After his release, Olohan joined the Klick Group as executive vice president of growth. He also owns an ice cream shop in New Jersey.