From the explosive DFEH lawsuit filed against Activision Blizzard, we’ve heard many disturbing stories of sexual harassment, discrimination, and toxic governance at the company, to the company’s CEO Bobby Kitty himself, but these kinds of stories always have a bigger effect. when you hear them from someone, something from their own mouth. This is exactly what happened this morning when Renowned attorney Lisa Bloom held a press conference with “Christina.” (his last name was not released for confidentiality reasons), who shared his harrowing experience. Below I have deciphered their main claims.
Working at Blizzard was a dream for me. When I first heard about all the talented people who work at Blizzard, I knew this is where I want to work. He was so excited to be a part of a community that he seemed to care so much about his employees. Unfortunately, this did not happen to me. Since my time at Blizzard, I have been exposed to rude comments about my body, unwanted sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, alcohol-fueled team activities and crawling blocks, invited to have casual sex with my superiors, and surrounded by male culture. . which is fatal to women.
When I complained to my superiors, they told me they were “just kidding” and that I had to accept it. I began to withdraw from work activities to avoid sexual comments and groping. They told me not to go to the human resources department. After complaining about sexual harassment, I was demoted. Then I was subjected to more persecution and repression. In my four years at Blizzard, I was denied a full share of the profits, denied an equity stake in the company, and received a minimal raise.
Not only is Bloom representing Christine, she is also looking for other individuals who have experienced harassment or discrimination at Activision Blizzard, which could pose a class action threat. Bloom outlined three requirements for the company, including 1) a streamlined dispute resolution process for aggrieved parties with an extended compensation fund of $ 100 million, 2) a “real” apology from the victim, and 3) a third-party review. of professional damage. the victims suffered.
Lisa Bloom has represented women in several high-profile sexual misconduct cases, including Bill Cosby, Bill O’Reilly, and Donald Trump, so the fact that she is now involved with Activision Blizzard is not a frivolous idea for the publisher. . .
For those who can’t keep up, the California Department of Fair Housing and Housing (DFEH) has filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, alleging that publisher Call of Duty and Warcraft accuses it of gender discrimination and sexual harassment. Activision Blizzard’s Official Response to Lawsuit accuses the DFEH of descriptions […] “confusing and false” and insists that the drawn image “is not Blizzard’s workplace today.” An open letter protesting the official response has been signed by thousands of current and former employees. Acti-Blizz CEO Bobby Kotick eventually apologized for the company’s initial response, but was later accused of covering up misconduct and personal misconduct. Kitten remains the CEO (despite his demands to resign), several high-level employees, including former Blizzard president J. Allen Brack and the leaders of the Diablo IV and World of Warcraft teams, have either resigned or were fired. , which led to a renaming of some characters. The story even caught the attention of the US federal government when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) launched a “full-scale” investigation.
I’m sure this isn’t the latest personal lawsuit against Activision Blizzard. As always, we at Wccfech will keep you updated as the story unfolds.
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