Amit Singhal out at Uber over not disclosing sexual harassment allegation at Google

We learned just last month that former Google Search SVP Amit Singhal had joined Uber as its SVP of Engineering. Now, he’s already left. Recode reports that Uber CEO Travis Kalanick asked Singhal to resign after learning of a sexual harassment allegation that occurred prior to his departure form Google last February…

Interestingly, Recode notes that, according to multiple sources, “Google was prepared to fire Singhal over the allegations after looking into the incident.” They didn’t end up firing him, however, and rather let him leave the company quietly after his resignation.

Singhal’s post about his resignation after 15 years at Google last year made no mention of these allegations. He reportedly disputed the allegations before leaving Google, and the “female employee” who “worked closely with the search team” did not want to take them public. Now, after leaving Uber over them, he has disputed them again in a statement to Recode.

“Harassment is unacceptable in any setting. I certainly want everyone to know that I do not condone and have not committed such behavior,” Singhal wrote to Recode’s Kara Swisher in an email. “In my 20-year career, I’ve never been accused of anything like this before and the decision to leave Google was my own.”

This news comes amidst controversy of Uber’s own sexual harassment problems. A former Uber employee reflected in a blog post earlier this month that she had been sexually harassed during her time at the ride hailing company, and Travis Kalanick recently hired former US Attorney General Eric Holder to look into the allegations.