Activision investigates itself and unsurprisingly finds no evidence of systemic harassment

[Cal Jeffrey]

In context: It's been almost a year since workplace harassment allegations plunged Activision Blizzard into a morass of lawsuits, regulatory investigations, and demands for CEO Bobby Kotick to step down. The company's Board of Directors formed a Workplace Responsibility Committee to investigate the allegations.

On Thursday, the Activision Blizzard's Workplace Responsibility Committee turned in the results of its internal investigation to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The probe concluded that the company was not guilty of wrongdoing and did not foster a "fratboy culture" of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation. The finding sparked a flurry of sarcasm on social media.

"Contrary to many of the allegations, the Board and its external advisors have determined that there is no evidence to suggest that Activision Blizzard senior executives ever intentionally ignored or attempted to downplay the instances of gender harassment that occurred and were reported," the Schedule 14A filing reads.

Having conducted a thorough investigation of myself, I have determined that the cookies ate themselves. The crumbs found on my face and hands could've been from any number of cookie like substances that were not in fact cookie's.

— ACO Runner for freebies. (@ACOrunner) June 16, 2022

The committee admitted that there were some substantiated instances of gender harassment but found no evidence supporting the conclusion that senior leadership or the Board tolerated or were even aware of the behavior. The filing also outlined actions taken to fix the existing problems but was constantly bombarded with smear pieces from the media.

"While the Board and management have implemented ... steps to continue to improve the workplace, it must be said that the Company has been subject to an unrelenting barrage of media criticism that attempts to paint the entire Company (and many innocent employees) with the stain of a very small portion of our employee population who engaged in bad behavior and were disciplined for it."

The filing and the investigation it discusses will not end the ongoing legal actions. Activision Blizzard has already settled the EEOC lawsuit for $18 million. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing still has active litigation against the company but has been bogged down for a lack of facts. It is also wrangling filings from former employees and an open SEC investigation.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/94976-activision-investigates-itself-unsurprisingly-finds-no-evidence-systemic.html

 

[winjer]

Activision and Bobby Kotick would never lie to people.

 

[captaincranky]

Well, I think there was a movie entitled, "The Tender Trap".

In today's office environment that would mean wearing a pair of yoga pants two sizes too small for you to work, and filing a lawsuit when you get patted on the a** for your efforts

 

[psycros]

Well, I think there was a movie entitled, "The Tender Trap".

In today's office environment that would mean wearing a pair of yoga pants two sizes too small for you to work, and filing a lawsuit when you get patted on the a** for your efforts

Touching wouldn't even be needed..just looking is enough these days. Obviously, the answer is to bring back professional dress codes to the normally very casual game design workplace. I'm sure the ladies will fully support this move.

 

[ZedRM]

Activision investigates itself and unsurprisingly finds no evidence of systemic harassment

What a shocker...

I'm sure the ladies will fully support this move.

Doubtful.

 

[kiwigraeme]

Well, I think there was a movie entitled, "The Tender Trap".

In today's office environment that would mean wearing a pair of yoga pants two sizes too small for you to work, and filing a lawsuit when you get patted on the a** for your efforts

Not sure of your point yoga pants are form hugging - so 2 sizes smaller not needed.
You have never been able to pat women on the derriere in modern history .
Plus a lawsuit would only be big if no action taken by company - &/or systematic .

These are all distraction to serious issues.
Women do complain in other countries as well - where no big payout and likelihood of social/financial punishment
Yes people are wrongly accused as well - but that doesn't mean not to try

 

[captaincranky]

Not sure of your point yoga pants are form hugging - so 2 sizes smaller not needed.

Under sizing them tends to promote "camel toe". In other words it makes them a lot more, "lip smacking good", in a manner of speaking.

You have never been able to pat women on the derriere in modern history .

I'm well aware of this. Surely you should have noticed by now that I can, at times, drift into hyperbole.

These are all distraction to serious issues.
Women do complain in other countries as well - where no big payout and likelihood of social/financial punishment

But yet, Arabic countries have seemingly solved these issues. Ya simply stuff your babes into a bag. (And they can complain all they want, as long as they don't do it out loud).

Am I writing to provoke responses, probably. But then what would a Techspot dialog be without a little food for thought?

So, do the lawsuits for sexual. harassment gravitate toward the wealthy, because the wealthy are more heinous, for revenge, an unrequited need for notoriety, because they tend to make plaintiffs a lot of money, or because they make better copy?

Andrea Constand v. William H. Cosby, Jr. - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[kiwigraeme]

Under sizing them tends to promote "camel toe". In other words it makes them a lot more, "lip smacking good", in a manner of speaking.

I'm well aware of this. Surely you should have noticed by now that I can, at times, drift into hyperbole.

But yet, Arabic countries have seemingly solved these issues. Ya simply stuff your babes into a bag. (And they can complain all they want, as long as they don't do it out loud).

Am I writing to provoke responses, probably. But then what would a Techspot dialog be without a little food for thought?

So, do the lawsuits for sexual. harassment gravitate toward the wealthy, because the wealthy are more heinous, for revenge, an unrequited need for notoriety, because they tend to make plaintiffs a lot of money, or because they make better copy?

Andrea Constand v. William H. Cosby, Jr. - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And I reply as I'm the resident SJW - have a great weekend

 

[3ogdy]

Let me check myself, officer. Am I a drug dealer?
Oh, what a surprise, of course not!

 

[captaincranky]

And I reply as I'm the resident SJW - have a great weekend

You do the same... .Here's some light reading to tide you over until your next visit.

Social justice warrior - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Uncle Al]

Still amazed that this continues on the work place, of course since over 50% of marriages occur between co-workers it can hardly be surpriseing. Certainly that statistic has to change with so many workers being at home the past year, or does it?

 

[Endymio]

Still amazed that this continues on the work place,

The original definition of workplace sexual harassment was your supervisor linking you keeping your job to your having a sexual relationship with him. Now it can be something as simple as a female employee overhearing one male worker tell another one an off-color joke. Or, in the case of Blizzard, they're subjected to the horrors of having to work on videogames in which "male leads predominate, and women characters are often objectified".

 

[Theinsanegamer]

The insistence that Activision had to be running cartoon villain tier sex harassment rings with women honestly reminds me of McCarthy seeing communists around every corner.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Things like this are why I'm completely against self-regulation of any industry. The very term smacks of lazy politicians and rich people with no accountability.

 

[captaincranky]

Brace yourselves. For some of you I'm about to take the disdain of my opinion to a whole level.

In most reptiles (80% +-) the female is larger than the male. This does not gold true for lizards, where size favors the male.

However, the largest specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex ever found was "Sue", a female found to be pregnant at the time.

Now for some of you "Bravehearts" out there, I would suggest you give this information to a far left feminist, activist, lesbian, and tell her, "you're offended by the misogyny of the sexism in taxonomic nomenclature". Anybody in their right mind should understand that if the females of the species were larger than the males, then they should be called "Tyrannosaurus reina"..

Moving along, women use some biologically imprinted standards when choosing a mate. Fro your reading pleasure: https://psychcentral.com/blog/love-...-do-and-how-to-choose-the-best-mate-for-you#1

The wind up of it is, should you meet those standards, (and that list is by no means inclusive), you get "lucky" If you don't, you're guilty of "sexual harassment".

To lighten the mood, let's have a musical interlude. While you, O my brothers, determine if you could live up to this woman's standards, or if you would want to in the first place.

(For those of you new to the planet, "O my brothers", is a line spoken by "Alex" in, "A Clockwork Orange").

Here's the lyrics in case you don't like country music:
I won't be bored
I won't be ignored
Hey!
I won't be your dirty secret
I won't be your cure-all pill
And I won't run to fetch the water
Just to tumble down the hill
I won't be your Friday paycheck
I won't be the prize you flaunt
And I won't be your Martha Stewart, baby
Or your all-night restaurant
But I will, I will, I will be your everything
If you make me feel like a woman should
I will, I will, I will be the whole shebang
You know I will, but
I won't be your crutch to lean on
I won't wear stiletto heels
I won't walk a mile in your shoes
Just so I know how it feels
I won't be your obligation
I won't be your Barbie doll
I won't be the portrait of perfection
To adorn you wall
But I will, I will, I will be your everything
If you make me feel like a woman should
I will, I will, I will be the whole shebang
You know I will, but
Hey, you know, you know I will
All right
I won't be your lifetime girlfriend
I won't be just one of the guys
I won't be your mama's favorite
I refuse to be the last in line
But I will, I will, I will be your everything
If you make me feel like a woman should
I will, I will, I will be the whole shebang
You know I will
Yeah, I will, I will, I will be your everything
I will, I will be the whole shebang
I will, I will be your everything
I will, I will, I will, I will, yeah
You know I will
You know, you know I will
You know I will
You know, you know I will, yeah

 

[ZedRM]

You have never been able to pat women on the derriere in modern history .

Nonsense. It was happening, without much fuss, as little as 20 years ago. So yes, your perspective is flawed.

 

[Endymio]

Things like this are why I'm completely against self-regulation of any industry.

No industry is self-regulated. Some industries choose to self-regulate in addition to the state and federal laws to which they're already subject.

How many laws is that? The code of federal regulations alone runs to nearly 150,000 pages -- and that doesn't count laws directly passed by Congress. In just one 8-year period alone (2000-2007), Congress created 452 new criminal offenses, to add to the countless number already on the books. And federal laws and regulations are only about 10% of the total, with state and local laws and regulations making up the remaining 90%.

Want to know if you're breaking any laws? Hire 10 fast readers, and set them to reading. In approximately 60 years time, they'll finish the process and give you a final answer -- if no more laws are passed in the meantime.

But you think a few more laws will help, right?