Uber Fires Top Software Engineer Over His Alleged Conduct at Google -- Update

By Greg Bensinger 

Uber Technologies Inc. fired a top software engineer for failing to disclose allegations of sexual harassment at his previous employer, Alphabet Inc.'s Google, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Amit Singhal, senior vice president of engineering, had joined Uber just over a month ago. Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick asked him to step down after the company learned recently of the allegations about his time at Google, this person said.

Mr. Singhal said in a statement, "Harassment is unacceptable in any setting. I certainly want everyone to know that I do not condone and have not committed such behavior. In my 20-year career, I've never been accused of anything like this before and the decision to leave Google was my own."

Mr. Singhal had left Google about a year before he joined Uber.

The firing comes at a sensitive time for Uber, which is under fire after a former employee said she'd experienced sexism and sexual harassment while working there and that Uber management had failed to address her concerns. Uber has commenced an internal investigation of the claims, led in part by board member Arianna Huffington and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

Uber also is embroiled in a legal battle with another Alphabet unit, Waymo, which filed a lawsuit last week alleging the ride-hailing company stole Alphabet's trade secrets to accelerate its autonomous vehicle program. Uber has said it was reviewing those claims.

Mr. Singhal's firing was reported earlier Monday by Recode, which said that a Google investigation into an allegation of sexual harassment against him had found the claim credible. A person familiar with the matter confirmed that account.

Mr. Singhal, who helped to oversee search at Google, was brought in by Uber to advise Mr. Kalanick and executive Anthony Levandowski on projects to develop self-driving vehicles and mapping technology. Mr. Levandowski previously worked at Alphabet, and Alphabet's lawsuit claimed he was mainly responsible for taking its technology to Uber.

Mr. Singhal left Google in February 2016 after 15 years. He said at the time he was leaving to focus on philanthropy.

Uber had hailed Mr. Singhal's hiring last month, with Mr. Kalanick saying in a blog post it was "great news."

"I can't wait for him to get started," Mr. Kalanick wrote.

--Jack Nicas contributed to this article.

Write to Greg Bensinger at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 27, 2017 16:59 ET (21:59 GMT)

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