An elaborate, 1,200-acre compound full of art and ornate architecture is located in a tiny town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
The religious sect that believes a higher consciousness can be achieved by embracing fine arts and culture has gained a foothold inside a business unit at the internet giant.
In a freewheeling office culture, where employees are encouraged to speak their own minds and pursue their own projects, the fellowship's presence in the business unit was atypical. According to a lawsuit filed by Kevin Lloyd, as many as 12 members of the fellowship worked for the GDS, which produces videos showcasing the company's technologies.
Many others worked company events, taking photographs, playing music, providing massages and serving wine. According to the lawsuit, the wine was bought from an Oregon House winery owned by a member of the fellowship
Mr. Lloyd said he was fired because of his complaints about the sect. The company that sent Mr. Lloyd to be a contractor is named in the suit. Many members of the fellowship joined the team as contractors for the developer studio.
In August, Mr. Lloyd filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court, accusing the two companies of violating the state's employment law. It is in the early stages.
Interviews with eight current and former employees of the business unit of the company were conducted by the New York Times. There was a membership roster for the fellowship of friends, as well as spreadsheets detailing event budgets and photos taken at the events.
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The principles of openness, inclusivity and equality for people of all races, religions, gender identification and above all non discrimination are what Dave Van Hoy believes in.
He said that they would vindicate themselves in court.
The fellowship of friends was founded in 1970 by Robert Earl Burton who was a former San Francisco Bay Area teacher. About 500 to 600 people are in and around its compound in Oregon House. The organization requires members to give 10 percent of their earnings.
The Fourth Way, a philosophy developed in the early 20th century, was the basis of Mr. Burton's teachings. They believed that a higher consciousness could be achieved while most people slept. Mr Burton said that true consciousness could be achieved by embracing the fine arts.
The fellowship staged operas, plays and ballets, ran a critically acclaimed winery, and collected art from all over the world.
"They believe that to achieve enlightenment you should surround yourself with so-called higher impressions - what Robert Burton believed to be the finest things in life," said a journalist who recently produced a podcasts about the fellowship. After a global apocalypse, Mr. Burton said Apollo was the beginning of a new civilization.
A $2.75 million lawsuit was filed in 1984 by a former member of the fellowship, who claimed that young men who joined the organization had been sexually lured by Burton. A former member of the group filed a lawsuit accusing Mr. Burton of sexual harassment when he was a minor. The suits were not heard in court.
A collection of Chinese antiques was sold by the fellowship. The winery stopped production in 2015. The president of the fellowship refused to comment on the article.
Peter Lubbers is a member of the fellowship of friends and runs the developer studio. He is listed as a member in the fellowship directory. He joined the fellowship after moving to the US.
He is a director, a role that is usually a rung below vice president in the management of the company, and he gets annual compensation in the high six figure or low seven figure range.
Mr. Lubbers used to work for Kelly Services. M. Catherine Jones won a case against Kelly Services in 2008 on behalf of Lynn Noyes, who claimed that the company failed to promote her because she was not a member of the fellowship. Ms. Noyes was ordered to pay $6.5 million in damages.
Ms. Noyes said that Mr. Lubbers worked for the company in the late 1990's and early 2000's.
At Kelly Services, Mr. Lubbers worked as a software developer before he went to work for Oracle. He worked on a team that promoted technology to outside developers. He was involved in the creation of G.D.S., a company that produced videos about developer tools.
Kelly Services wouldn't comment on the case.
Several other members of the fellowship were brought in under Mr. Lubbers. Mr. Pannell and Mr. Lubbers are in a picture with Mr. Burton. The caption on the photo was recently deleted.
The team's leadership abused the hiring system that brought workers in as contractors according to a senior video producer who works for the team.
He said that they were able to further their own aims by hiring people with less scrutiny and a less rigorous on-boarding process. When these people were brought on from the foothills of the Sierras, no one was paying much attention.
He reported directly to Mr. Pannell when he joined the Bay Area video production team. Mr. Lubbers and Mr. Pannell were from Oregon House.
The fellowship member who worked for the team as a sound designer was paid to have a state-of-the-art sound system installed in his house. Mr. Lubbers said the equipment would have been thrown out if the team had not sent it to the home.
The sound designer's daughter was a set designer. A photographer, a masseuse, Mr. Lubber's wife and his son were hired to work at the events.
A person familiar with the matter, who declined to be identified for fear of reprisal, said that the company frequently served wine from Grant Marie, a winery in Oregon House run by a fellowship member.
Mr. Lubbers said that his religious beliefs are private. They have never been involved in hiring. My role has always been to bring in the right talent for the job.
He said that it was fine for him to encourage people to apply for the roles. He said that the team has grown to more than 250 people.
Mr. Pannell said in a phone interview that the team brought in workers from a circle of trusted friends and families with extremely qualified background.
The suit states that Mr. Pannell threw things at the host when he was unhappy with his performance. Mr. Pannell said that he didn't remember the incidents and that they didn't sound like anything he would do. He admitted that he had problems with alcohol.
Mr. Pannell was promoted to a full-time employee after seven months at the company. He was promoted to senior producer and then executive producer, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He said that Mr. Lloyd brought a lot of this to the manager. He was told not to pursue the matter because of Mr. Lubbers and Mr. Lloyd. He was not given a reason for his firing. They said he was fired for performance issues.
Ms. Jones said that members of the fellowship were allowed to join the company without proper vetting. The fellowship used this method in the Kelly case. They are able to get through the door.
Mr. Lloyd is seeking damages for wrongful firing, retaliation and discrimination. He is concerned that by doing so much business with its members, the company fed money into the fellowship of friends.
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