Activision Blizzard case: the leaders of the company react to the accusations in no particular order
Activision Blizzard case
There is confusion among Activision Blizzard executives about how to react to allegations made by a California state agency, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, of mistreating and discriminating against the company's female workers in the workplace.The whole affair is putting the group in difficulty, which has already suffered several public retaliations such as a protest sit-in within World of Warcraft or the cancellation of some promotional events related to Blizzard games . There are also many employees and former employees who have publicly expressed their solidarity with the women victims of abuse.
Given the situation, some executives at Activision Blizzard have seen fit to send messages to all employees to give the their point of view, but without keeping a common line.
For example, the president of Blizzard, J. Allen Brack, wrote that the behaviors described by the lawsuit are unacceptable and that harassment of any kind is not tolerable, affirming the freedom for all to express themselves without fear of retaliation. He then invited those who have been victims of harassment or discrimination to contact him to resolve the problem.
Rob Kostich, the president of Activision, also wrote a message to employees calling the allegations disturbing and stating that the behavior described do not reflect Activision's values.
Neither message confirms what is written in the lawsuit, but both go in the same direction of reassuring employees.
But then came the message from Fran Townsend, the Chief Compliance Office of Activision Blizzard, to mix up the cards and create some confusion. The executive attacked the lawsuit head on, stating that she gives a distorted view of the company, because she tells stories that are old, out of context and distorted in fact. According to her, some of the reported events date back to more than ten years ago.
Townsend then recounted her experience in Activision Blizzard, which she has been in for about four months, and how she found a company ready to welcome her and make her grow. The woman then recalled the initiatives taken by the multinational to promote diversity and inclusiveness and concluded by defining the cause without merit and irresponsible.
According to Jason Schreier of Bloomberg, the first to share Townsend's message online, some Activision Blizzard employees are furious at what she wrote. To many it seemed a real denial of the problem, as in the meantime the testimonies of ex-employees supporting the allegations have multiplied, collected in the World of Warcraft subreddit.
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Activision Blizzard execs respond to harassment and discrimination lawsuit
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard this week over alleged sexual harassment and discrimination against women. In a memo to staff obtained by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, Blizzard Entertainment president J. Allen Brack wrote that 'the allegations and the hurt of current and former employees are extremely troubling.'
Brack wrote that everyone should feel safe at Blizzard and that 'it is completely unacceptable for anyone in the company to face discrimination or harassment.' He noted it requires courage for people to come forward with their stories, and that all claims brought to the company are taken seriously and investigated.
'People with different backgrounds, views, and experiences are essential for Blizzard, our teams, and our player community,' Brack wrote. 'I disdain 'bro culture,' and have spent my career fighting against it.'
In the suit, the DFEH made a string of accusations against former World of Warcraft senior creative director Alex Afrasiabi. The agency alleged that Afrasiabi was 'permitted to engage in blatant sexual harassment with little to no repercussions' and suggested that the activity was an open secret.
Brack is said to be among those who were aware of Afrasiabi's purported actions. The DFEH claimed Brack 'allegedly had multiple conversations with Afrasiabi about his drinking and that he had been 'too friendly' towards female employees at company events but gave Afrasiabi a slap on the wrist (i.e. verbal counseling) in response to those incidents.' After those supposed talks, Afrasiabi 'continued to make unwanted advances towards female employees,' including groping one of them, according to the suit.
The DFEH claimed a Blizzard employee informed Brack in early 2019 that people were leaving the company because of sexual harassment and sexism. The employee allegedly said that women on the Battle.net team were 'subjected to disparaging comments,' that 'the environment was akin to working in a frat house' and that women who weren't 'huge gamers' or 'into the party scene' were 'excluded and treated as outsiders.'
Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. It claimed the suit 'includes distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard's past.' The company also accused the DFEH, which investigated Activision Blizzard for two years, of 'disgraceful and unprofessional' conduct and claimed the agency didn't engage in a “good faith effort” to resolve complaints before resorting to legal action.
'A recently filed lawsuit presented a distorted and untrue picture of our company, including factually incorrect, old and out of context stories — some from more than a decade ago,' Fran Townsend, executive vice president for corporate affairs at the publisher, wrote in a memo to employees. Some Blizzard employees are 'fuming' over the note, according to Schreier.
Townsend, a former Homeland Security advisor to President George W. Bush who joined Activision Blizzard this year, said 'the Activision companies of today, the Activision companies that I know, are great companies with good values.' Townsend also claimed Activision Blizzard 'takes a hardline approach to inappropriate or hostile work environments and sexual harassment issues' and that the company has 'put tremendous effort into creating fair compensation policies that reflect our commitment to equal opportunity.'
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