Jalon Hall, a Black Google employee who is deaf, has filed a lawsuit against the tech giant, alleging discrimination based on her race and disability.

Hall claims the company used her as a poster child for diversity while denying her reasonable accommodations to perform her job and subjected her to racism and audism, which is prejudice against the deaf or hard of hearing.

"Google is using me to make them look inclusive for the deaf community and the overall disability community," she told Wired last week. "In reality, they need to do better."

Hall's experience at Google began in 2020 when a recruiter reached out on LinkedIn about a job working on a new in-house content moderation team called Wolverine. After she accepted the job, the recruiter assured her that a sign language interpreter would be provided and her deafness "can be fully accommodated."

Within days of starting her job, however, Hall was denied access to a sign language interpreter, with managers deciding that her interpreter threatened the confidentiality of the team's work.

"This was not a reasonable accommodation," Hall told Wired. "I was thinking, What did I get myself into? Do they not believe I'm deaf? I need my interpreter all day. Why are you robbing me of the chance of doing my job?"

Minus an interpreter, Hall struggled to perform her duties and rarely met the quota of 75 videos she was expected to review each eight-hour workday.

"I felt humiliated, realizing that I would not grow in my career," she told Wired.

After she filed three complaints with the human resources department, Hall sued Google in December, accusing the company of discrimination based on her race and disability. She told Wired she has stayed at Google in hopes of being a catalyst for change.

"I was born to push through hard times," she said. "It would be selfish to quit Google. I'm standing in the gap for those often pushed aside."

Google reportedly responded to Hall's lawsuit last week by arguing that the case should be thrown out on procedural grounds; it did not deny Hall's allegations.

According to Hall, the company's social media accounts have touted her as a symbol of inclusivity, and she has been praised for "helping expand opportunities for Black Deaf professionals!" and "making #LifeAtGoogle more inclusive!"

Behind the buzzwords, however, Hall claims that Google has ignored her concerns and slow-walked or denied her requests for essential tools and accommodations.

"My point of view is often not heard," Hall told Wired. "I feel hidden and pushed aside."

• Google to Pay $118M to Settle Gender Discrimination Lawsuit
• Google Sued for Racial Discrimination Against Black Employees