A number of current and former employees have publicly come forward detailing egregious gender and sexual discrimination at Activision Blizzard. On July 20th, 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against the video game maker, charging Activision with underpaying and underpromoting women, as well as verbal harassment such as inappropriate or demeaning jokes and sexual solicitations.
Lawsuit: Activision is “a breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women.”
The California lawsuit describes Activision as “a breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women,” and details a “frat boy workplace culture.”
Other claims of misconduct mentioned in the lawsuit include allegations that groups of employees would get drunk at work and harass women at their cubicles in what was known as a “cube crawl.”
The lawsuit also describes one particularly tragic example of a woman who killed herself during a business trip, shortly after her male colleagues shared an explicit photo of her.
Review the full document (pdf) of the Activision/Blizzard sexual harassment complaint filed in the DFEH lawsuit.
Walk-Out by Activision Employees
According to the New York Times, in the week after the lawsuit was filed, angered by Activision’s lackluster response, more than 1,500 Activision employees walked out from their jobs. In addition, nearly a third of the company’s 10,000 employees signed an open letter calling for Activision leaders to take the accusations more seriously and compassionately.
Our Firm’s Experience Representing Survivors of Sexual Assault
Gibbs Law Group’s award-winning sexual assault attorneys represent survivors across the country. Our team is committed to empowering survivors to regain control, achieve justice and begin to heal. We recently obtained a $73 million settlement in compensation on behalf of former patients of UCLA gynecologist Dr. James Heaps. We currently represent survivors in sexual abuse claims against the Boy Scouts of America, and are currently investigating sexual harassment claims against the Washington Football Team.
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