Kevin Lloyd, an ex-Google contractor, who worked as a video producer for Google Developer Studio (GDS), has claimed that at least 12 members belong to a religious cult and exercise a great deal of influence over the studio.
A report in The New York Times said Lloyd filed a lawsuit against Google and his contracting agency AGS, saying he was wrongfully terminated, which caused him emotional distress, and that the company acted out in retaliation against his claims, while the contracting agency failed to protect him against discrimination.
Lloyd identified the "cult" as the Fellowship of Friends. According to NYT, it believes a "higher consciousness can be achieved by embracing fine arts and culture”.
The cult owns a 1200-acre compound in Oregon, California in the US. GDS's main lead Peter Lubbers has been a longtime member and is apparently responsible for roping other members, including video producer Gabe Pannell.
The report also says that the cult members hold important roles at company events and Google allegedly buys wine served at these events from a winery run by a member of the cult. In the lawsuit, Lloyd also claims that Google paid for a state-of-the-art sound system for the cult's property in Oregon.
His complaints about the cult fell on deaf ears and he was fired shortly after he submitted his complaint, Lloyd has said. Google said Lloyd was let go of due to performance issues.
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