Activision Blizzard board denies claims execs turned blind eye to gender harassment
Activision Blizzard board members have pushed back against claims that execs ignored or downplayed gender harassment at the firm.
While the independent directors of the company’s board said there were some substantiated instances of gender harassment, they denied that the senior leadership team were aware of this.
The firm has come under fire with multiple sexual harassment lawsuits and was even sued by California over its culture, which a state agency called “a breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women”.
A petition circulated last year calling for the chief exec Bobby Kotick to be ousted for these accusations.
Lean In author and outgoing Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg was also dragged into the drama back in April, after the Wall Street Journal reported that she pressured the Daily Mail to drop stories about her former boyfriend Kotick.
Kotick said in a statement that it was inaccurate, and that he never said Sandberg threatened the Daily Mail.
“Sheryl Sandberg never threatened the MailOnline’s business relationship with Facebook in order to influence an editorial decision,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement at the time. “This story attempts to make connections that don’t exist.”
Activision also made headlines earlier this year when Microsoft announced it would be acquiring The Call of Duty maker for whopping $68.7bn.
On Monday, Microsoft announced it has entered into a labour neutrality agreement with the union supporting Activision Blizzard employees, the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
This unusual move will make it easier for employees to unionise once the takeover deal is completed, and stands in contrast to US giants like Amazon and Starbucks who have been less open to staff efforts.