A senior Google executive claims she was dismissed after raising concerns about a colleague who discussed his swinger lifestyle with clients and shared an explicit photo of his wife.

Victoria Woodall told an employment tribunal that she faced retaliation from the company after reporting a male manager’s conduct, who was later terminated following an internal inquiry.

Documents presented in court and reviewed by the BBC reveal that Google's internal investigation found the manager had inappropriately touched two female coworkers without consent, actions deemed to be sexual harassment.

The company refutes allegations of retaliation, stating that Woodall developed unfounded suspicions after reporting the manager and began interpreting routine activities with mistrust.

Woodall’s claim alleges that her own supervisor led a sequence of retaliatory steps against her, particularly because her report implicated colleagues close to him. Those colleagues were disciplined for witnessing the manager’s behaviour but taking no action.

She also pointed to a “boys’ club” environment at Google, asserting that until late 2022, the company financed an all-male “chairman’s lunch”.

In response, Google said an internal review did not find evidence of this type of culture and that the event was discontinued because it no longer aligned with company policies.

A ruling from the London Central Employment Tribunal on the matter is expected soon.

Woodall served as a senior industry head within Google’s UK Sales and Agencies team.

According to her testimony, in August 2022 a female client informed her that a Google manager had, during a work-related lunch, boasted about sexual encounters with black women.

The same manager allegedly said he and his wife were swingers and detailed a sexual encounter with two women met on a beach vacation, as noted in a summary of the investigation.

The client found the incident unprovoked and said the manager’s supervisor, who was present, failed to intervene. She described the behaviour as “revolting” in statements to the tribunal.

Woodall passed on the complaint to Matt Bush, then Google UK's agency team director, which prompted the launch of a formal investigation into the manager’s behaviour.

While the process was ongoing, Woodall submitted a second complaint from another female client who said the same manager had, while scrolling through his phone, shown her an explicit image of his wife’s genitalia.

Google’s internal inquiry interviewed 12 individuals and uncovered additional allegations that breached its policies and were classed as sexual harassment, according to submitted emails, notes, and internal reports.

The outcome of the investigation indicated the manager had, during a work function, inappropriately touched one colleague’s leg and massaged another’s back and shoulders without their consent.

Further allegations included him telling a female employee, whom he had just met, that he was in an open marriage and suggesting she could sleep with him in a bathroom – something he claimed his wife would enjoy hearing about.

During the disciplinary process, the manager denied sharing details about being in an open relationship or making inappropriate comments, according to the findings.

The manager was terminated for gross misconduct. His supervisor and another senior team member received coaching for not addressing the behaviour and were later made redundant.

Woodall claims that following her whistleblowing in 2022, she was pressured to give up a successful client account in exchange for a struggling one, previously managed by a colleague involved in the investigation.

She described this switch as a “poisoned chalice” that left her vulnerable to being let go, the tribunal heard.

After that, she says she was reassigned to a subordinate role on a major internal project overseen by another implicated manager. Subsequently, her performance rating was lowered and she faced other forms of pushback, her claim states.

Bush, in his testimony, denied the accusations of targeting her and emphasized his commitment to inclusivity and gender equity. He explained that account reshuffling was common practice across the team.

In 2023, Google initiated a redundancy procedure that saw the exits of Bush and another senior manager linked to the handling of the misconduct complaints.

That May, Woodall took her concerns about the team’s culture and the aftermath of her whistleblowing to higher leadership within the organization.

She testified about a meeting with Debbie Weinstein, then Google UK and Ireland VP, following reports from HR that some women were unhappy with their experiences within the team.

Following the meeting, Weinstein appeared surprised by Woodall’s account, messaging a colleague: “Just met Vicki. Holy moly. Want to get you for 10 mins today,” according to court evidence.

Later in November 2023, as the company prepared for a broader restructuring effort, Woodall alleges there was increased effort to remove her from the agency team.

During this time, Weinstein reportedly messaged Dyana Najdi, Google's managing director for UK advertising, saying: “keep pushing…for solution on how you can run a process including agency… gotta use this as a chance to exit people,” according to communications presented in court.

By March 2024, Woodall was laid off along with another senior colleague involved in the misconduct case. However, she remains on Google’s payroll, receiving long-term sick pay due to stress related to her work, she claims.

Google has denied that her termination was linked to her previous complaints, saying her role was one of 26 eliminated across the department during the reorganisation.

The company also disputes that Weinstein aimed to remove her, asserting instead that she had supported Woodall and had even led the cultural inquiry into the team.

Google acknowledges Woodall’s initial report was an example of whistleblowing, but maintains that all subsequent decisions concerning her were standard business actions without retaliatory intent.