sexual harassment
Latest
Blue Origin is a ‘toxic environment,' current and ex-employees say
They claim the company 'turns a blind eye to sexism' and 'is not sufficiently attuned to safety concerns.'
Bungie makes it easier to sue over harassment following Activision scandal
Bungie is distancing itself from its former publisher Activision by taking steps to fight harassment, including an end to arbitration for worker complaints.
Activision Blizzard settles its EEOC lawsuit with an $18 million payout
This is just one lawsuit facing the house of Call of Duty.
California expands Activision Blizzard lawsuit to include temporary workers
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has expanded the scope of its sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit against Activision Blizzard to include temporary workers.
Airbnb drops sexual harassment and assault arbitration rules for guests and hosts
The company made a similar change for its employees in 2018.
Blizzard president 'steps down' amid sexual discrimination and harassment lawsuit
Blizzard studio leader J. Allen Brack has stepped down after being named in a lawsuit over sexual discrimination and harassment.
Activision Blizzard employees decry 'abhorrent' company response to harassment lawsuit
Employees at Activision Blizzard are calling on the company to issue a new statement in response to the lawsuit it’s facing from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH).
Activision Blizzard execs respond to harassment and discrimination lawsuit
Blizzard president J. Allen Brack called the allegations 'extremely troubling.'
Ubisoft sued in France over alleged 'institutional harassment'
Ubisoft is facing a lawsuit in France after a workers' union says the game developer enabled 'institutional harassment.'
Riot Games CEO sued for sexual harassment by former assistant
Riot Games and its CEO, Nicolo Laurent, are facing a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the executive’s former assistant. Vice has obtained a copy of the complaint, wherein the plaintiff (Sharon O’Donnell) accuses Laurent of behaving inappropriately towards her starting shortly after she was hired until she left the company in July 2020. In her lawsuit, O’Donnell described how Laurent would tell her to be more feminine and to watch her tone.
Three Ubisoft executives leave amid misconduct allegations
Ubisoft's misconduct scandal is expanding as three executives are leaving in response.
An Ubisoft VP has resigned following assault and misconduct allegations
Several current and former Ubisoft Toronto employees have described it as having a toxic culture.
Ubisoft CEO lays out a plan to change the company's toxic culture
Ubisoft Yves Guillemot announced several major changes to address his company's culture after employees went public reporting incidents of harassment and abuse.
Ubisoft reportedly places two VPs on leave as it investigates misconduct
A recent slew of reports of sexual abuse and misconduct within gaming communities has included multiple accusations posted to social media about the culture and personnel within Ubisoft. Now Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reports that a number of employees have been placed on leave pending those investigations, including two high-level executives, VPs Maxime Béland and Tommy François.
Twitch responds to sexual abuse accusations, bans several streamers
Twitch said it was looking into accusations of abuse and harassment by some of its partnered streamers, and today issued several bans while it continues to investigate.
Lyft forms yet another group to address passenger safety
In another attempt to make its ridesharing service safer, Lyft is forming a new Safety Advisory Council. The group will advise the company on its current and planned safety initiatives. In a blog post, Lyft said the council will provide a critical perspective on the work the company is doing.
Uber sets up $4.4 million fund to settle federal sexual harassment probe
Uber will set up a $4.4 million fund for current and former employees who were sexually harassed at the company. The move is one of the terms the ride-hailing giant has agreed to in order to resolve a probe launched by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2017. If you'll recall, that was the year an essay written by former employee Susan Fowler brought its problematic company culture and sexual harassment issues to light. The EEOC says it has "found reasonable cause to believe that Uber permitted a culture of sexual harassment and retaliation against individuals who complained about such harassment."
Google employees still face retaliation for reporting workplace issues
It's been nearly a year since 20,000 Google employees held a walkout to protest the company's handling of sexual harassment and misconduct. While Google promised to make changes, employees have since charged the company with having a "retaliation culture." Today, Recode reports that a dozen current and former Google employees are still afraid to report workplace issues.
Lawsuit accuses Lyft of not protecting its female passengers
A new lawsuit out of California claims Lyft isn't doing enough to protect female passengers. The complaint, filed in the company's home city of San Francisco, includes at least 14 unnamed women who say they were either sexually assaulted or raped by their Lyft drivers. In one instance, a woman says she was raped by her driver after he told her, "I love you." Another says her driver asked her for money and sexual favors, and said, "gratuity is for pocket and yummy is for me." Both women add Lyft did not tell them if it had fired the drivers for their behavior.
Emerging from the shadow of GamerGate
On August 26th, game developer Nathalie Lawhead published a blog post accusing legendary Skyrim composer Jeremy Soule of rape. It's a detailed account of the events leading up to and after the alleged assault, which Lawhead says took place in 2008, when she was in her mid-20s and trying to break into the video-game industry. Soule was already a major name in games, and according to Lawhead, he used his influence and the veneer of mentorship to manipulate, silence and sexually assault her. By the 28th, another woman, vocalist Aeralie Brighton, had come forward with her own story about Soule. She said Soule sent her a video of him masturbating, and then cut her out of projects when she expressed that she wanted to keep their relationship professional. Soule denies the accusations from both women.