Activision Blizzard slapped with another sexual harassment lawsuit

[Cal Jeffrey]

When it rains, it pours: Activision Blizzard just can't seem to shake the scandals. Still reeling from a bevy of sexual harassment/discrimination lawsuits last year, the company is looking down the barrel of another one less than three months into the new year. This one lists more than 30 defendants.

The Bloom Firm filed a complaint with the Superior Court in Los Angeles on behalf of an anonymous client against Activision Blizzard, Blizzard Entertainment, three former and two current Blizzard employees, and 25 other unnamed individuals. Charges include two counts of sexual harassment, failure to prevent harassment, sexual favoritism, retaliation, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Several allegations are pointed at Mark Skorupa, a former Blizzard employee now working at parent company Microsoft. Jane Doe was hired as an executive assistant to Skorupa and another Blizzard employee working in the IT department. Doe alleges that Skorupa made sexual advances and inappropriate comments toward her, put his hand in her lap at lunch on her first day, and gave her unwelcomed hugs that lingered too long.

Doe further claims that the HR department disregarded repeated complaints saying that they were just examples of management trying to be "nice."

"[Human Relations] dismissed Ms. Doe's sexual misconduct complaints, saying that it was just her leadership being nice and trying to be friends with her," reads the filing. "HR asked Ms. Doe to keep all of her issues, concerns, recordings, or emails to herself because they could be very damaging to Activision Blizzard."

Doe also claims she was a victim of retaliation for taking her complaints to HR. She says that Skorupa subsequently made hurtful comments toward her, the company demoted her, and she was denied applications to positions in different departments despite being more qualified than other applicants.

The lawsuit asks the court to award Doe all legal fees and an unspecified amount in damages. Activision and Microsoft have declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Image credit: Magnify by Casimiro PT, Courtroom by Brandon Rush

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/93929-activision-blizzard-slapped-another-sexual-harassment-lawsuit.html

 

[Dimitriid]

"Microsoft is filled with alleged sexual abusers and systemically discriminates female employees" Is probably not something they wanted to be known for when they decided to put down the billions to buy Activision but here we are: That's the statement and is 100% accurate now: Remember that the next time they try to sell you on upgrading your computer and buying Windows 11 licenses, you're now enabling sexual abuse of female employees.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

So is this one going to also claim that they had some kind of sex ring that mysteriously nobody has actual proof of? Oh maybe they'll claim there was a sex dungeon this time?

"Microsoft is filled with alleged sexual abusers and systemically discriminates female employees" Is probably not something they wanted to be known for when they decided to put down the billions to buy Activision but here we are: That's the statement and is 100% accurate now: Remember that the next time they try to sell you on upgrading your computer and buying Windows 11 licenses, you're now enabling sexual abuse of female employees.

Dude learn what the word "alleged" means.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

Sounds like another case "I want money".

 

[McMurdeR]

One wonders if Microsoft fully understood what they were getting themselves involved in. In any case, I hope that the victims of abuse at Blizzard find justice.

 

[Zoneslammer]

"Microsoft is filled with alleged sexual abusers and systemically discriminates female employees" Is probably not something they wanted to be known for when they decided to put down the billions to buy Activision but here we are: That's the statement and is 100% accurate now: Remember that the next time they try to sell you on upgrading your computer and buying Windows 11 licenses, you're now enabling sexual abuse of female employees.

Sounds based.

 

[Uncle Al]

You know, if these guys were busy playing their own games they wouldn't have time for chasing skirts ..... sheeezzzzeeee ..... talk about a lack of faith in their own product!

 

[Ohnooze]

I'm sorry but sounds like another person trying to cash in imo.
If the work force wasn't filled with so many snowflakes and hypersensitive children I may not think this way but I'm very skeptical.

 

[BadThad]

Filing discrimination lawsuits has always been popular, mostly as a ruse to get money. In the current era people are overly sensitive whimps, they need to toughen-up and handle problems the old fashioned way with grit, determination and cleverness instead of crying to mommy.

 

[Aaron Fox]

Filing discrimination lawsuits has always been popular, mostly as a ruse to get money. In the current era people are overly sensitive whimps, they need to toughen-up and handle problems the old fashioned way with grit, determination and cleverness instead of crying to mommy.

Wild speculation in forums has always been popular, to go with posturing and preening.

Fact is that if all the Internet tough guys were to be sexually harassed aggressively in the workplace by males they would be complaining and suing.

 

[bviktor]

"Microsoft is filled with alleged sexual abusers and systemically discriminates female employees" Is probably not something they wanted to be known for when they decided to put down the billions to buy Activision but here we are: That's the statement and is 100% accurate now: Remember that the next time they try to sell you on upgrading your computer and buying Windows 11 licenses, you're now enabling sexual abuse of female employees.

Your comment is wrong on a number of levels. First off, innocent until proven guilty. Second, Microsoft is NOT Activision Blizzard, they juts announced they PLAN to buy them. Third, it was made clear already they're gonna get rid of existing management. Fourth, they also announced that "it'll honor Activision-Blizzard union, if formed".

So remember: if you have the compulsive need to hate on Windows 11 every second that there is, maybe pick an article that's at least somewhat relevant.