NEW YORK — The United States filed a lawsuit against Google LLC on Thursday alleging violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The lawsuit alleges Google failed to restore Mark Davisson to a position with the same opportunities for advancement, working conditions, and responsibility after his military deployment. It further alleges Google did not restore Davisson as the Key Account Executive responsible for any of the accounts he managed prior to his departure. The government contends that Google assigned Davisson to a separate team and terminated him as part of a workforce reduction.

The complaint seeks reinstatement, compensation for lost wages, and liquidated damages for Davisson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle J. Marryshow is in charge of the case.

Davisson enlisted in the United States Army Reserve in May 2004 and has served as a commissioned officer since December 2004. He received a Bronze Star for service in Iraq and a Meritorious Service Medal for service in Afghanistan. Davisson joined Google as a Key Account Executive in December 2019, where he was responsible for leading Google Cloud sales initiatives within the Financial Services Group. By January 2022, he managed Google Cloud customer accounts for BlackRock, Bridgewater Associates, and Credit Suisse.

Jamie McDonald stated, "Federal law ensures that our brave soldiers, who sacrifice so much to keep us safe, are not punished by employers when they return to the civilian workforce after completing their military service." McDonald added, "This Office is committed to enforcing USERRA’s protections to ensure that service members like Lieutenant Colonel Mark Davisson receive the benefits to which they are legally entitled."