DOJ Sues Google Over Army Officer's Job Loss

PHOTO CAPTION: A Google sign marks the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California, in November 2009. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Google on October 29, 2026, alleging the company violated federal military reemployment protections after Army Reserve Lt. Col. Mark Davisson returned from deployment and was not restored to a comparable position. He was subsequently laid off. (Illustrative file photo by Håkan Dahlström / CC BY 2.0)

The Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit against Google on Thursday, alleging the technology giant violated the employment rights of a decorated Army Reserve lieutenant colonel who returned from military deployment to find his former responsibilities assigned to another employee.

Lt. Col. Mark Davisson had been a Google Cloud key account executive managing major financial clients, including BlackRock, Bridgewater Associates and Credit Suisse, before leaving for a year of military duty in May 2022.

When he returned in May 2023, Google restored his job title and salary but allegedly refused to return any of his former accounts or assign him comparable responsibilities.

According to the October 29 complaint, Davisson spent approximately six months without clearly defined job duties before being transferred to another team. He was ultimately laid off in August 2024.

The government alleges Google violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, a federal law protecting civilian employment rights for members of the military.

Google has not been found liable, and the allegations remain before the court.
Army Officer Managed Major Google Cloud Accounts
Davisson joined Google in December 2019 as a key account executive within its financial services division.

According to federal court filings, his responsibilities included managing Google Cloud sales relationships with some of the world's largest financial institutions.

He was assigned the BlackRock account in January 2020, drawing on his previous experience in financial services and existing relationships with company executives.

During his time managing the account, BlackRock signed its first multimillion-dollar cloud services contract with Google in December 2021.

In January 2022, Google expanded Davisson's responsibilities to include Bridgewater Associates and Credit Suisse's U.S. business.

Four months later, Davisson began a year of approved military leave.

He served at U.S. Army Cyber Command at Fort Gordon, Georgia, before returning to civilian employment in May 2023.
Google Allegedly Refused to Restore His Responsibilities
While Davisson was deployed, Google assigned his financial accounts to another executive.

When he returned, that employee retained the accounts.

The lawsuit alleges Google did not give Davisson responsibility for BlackRock, Bridgewater Associates, Credit Suisse or any other customer account.

Instead, despite retaining his executive title and salary, he spent approximately six months searching internally for a position with defined responsibilities.

Federal prosecutors argue that the arrangement deprived Davisson of the same professional standing, working conditions and advancement opportunities he would have enjoyed had he not interrupted his civilian career for military service.

The distinction is central to the case.

Under federal military reemployment law, restoring a returning service member's paycheck and title does not necessarily satisfy an employer's obligations if the employee loses meaningful responsibilities or career opportunities.

The Justice Department argues Google failed to provide Davisson with a position of comparable status.
Officer Was Notified of Layoff During Another Military Leave
In January 2024, Google transferred Davisson to a Digital Assets sales team within its financial services group.

According to the complaint, the new assignment still did not involve managing customer accounts. Instead, Davisson supported other employees who held those responsibilities.

Several months later, he took another period of approved Army Reserve leave, beginning May 13, 2024.

On May 29, while he was still serving on military leave, Google notified Davisson that his position would be eliminated as part of a workforce reduction affecting the Digital Assets team.

The company informed him that the termination would take effect August 27 unless he secured another position internally.

After returning from military leave in June, Davisson applied for approximately 10 Google positions but did not receive an offer.

His employment ended August 27, 2024.

The federal complaint alleges that the employee who had taken over his original financial accounts was not affected by the workforce reduction and remained employed at Google.

The lawsuit does not establish that the broader reduction was fabricated. Rather, prosecutors allege Google failed to provide Davisson the comparable position to which he was entitled after military service, leaving him in a different role that was subsequently eliminated.
Decorated Reservist Served in Iraq and Afghanistan
Davisson enlisted in the Army Reserve in May 2004 and became a commissioned officer later that year.

His military career has included service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He received a Bronze Star for his Iraq service, a Meritorious Service Medal for his Afghanistan service and additional individual and unit awards, according to the Justice Department.

Davisson also holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Stanford University.

Before joining Google, he held positions in the financial services and technology industries, including work at Salomon Brothers, Morgan Stanley and Bloomberg.

The government's lawsuit describes an established professional career interrupted by military obligations rather than an employee seeking an entirely new position after leaving active service.
Department of Labor Found USERRA Violation, Lawsuit Says
Davisson filed a complaint with the Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service on October 15, 2024.

The agency investigated his allegations.

According to the federal lawsuit, investigators completed their review in June 2025 and informed Google that its treatment of Davisson violated USERRA.

Davisson subsequently requested that his case be referred to the Justice Department for additional review.

The federal government filed the new civil lawsuit in Manhattan on October 29, 2026.

The Department of Labor's investigative finding is separate from a final judicial ruling. Google has not yet been found liable by the court in this action.
What Federal Military Employment Law Requires
Congress enacted the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act in 1994 to protect workers whose civilian careers are interrupted by military service.

The law generally requires eligible employees returning from qualifying military duty to be restored to the position they would have held had their employment continued uninterrupted.

For service members absent more than 90 days, an appropriate comparable position may also satisfy the law.

Those protections extend beyond basic salary.

Employers must consider the employee's seniority, professional status, benefits and opportunities for advancement.

The statute also prohibits discrimination and retaliation based on military service or obligations.

The requirements apply to private employers, including major corporations.

The Justice Department has authority to pursue federal lawsuits involving violations of these protections following qualifying referrals from the Department of Labor.
Federal Government Seeks Reinstatement and Damages
The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring Google to reinstate Davisson as a key account executive responsible for his former major accounts or a comparable group of clients.

Federal prosecutors are also seeking compensation for lost wages and benefits, interest and liquidated damages if the court determines the company knowingly or willfully violated the law.

The government additionally wants Google to establish appropriate workplace policies and training programs concerning the employment rights of military service members.

The complaint requests a jury trial.

U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said federal law is intended to protect military personnel from losing civilian employment opportunities because of their service obligations.

Google did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment Thursday.
What Happens Next?
The lawsuit is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Google will have an opportunity to respond to the allegations and present its defense.

No settlement, judgment or damages award has been announced.

For Davisson, the government is seeking restoration of the civilian career responsibilities it argues he should have retained when he returned from military service.

The case also raises a broader question for employers of National Guard and Reserve personnel: whether returning a service member to the same salary and title is sufficient when the actual responsibilities and opportunities associated with the position have changed.

(Source: OAF Nation)