The settlement between game producer Activision Blizzard and a US government agency over sexual misconduct in the workplace has finally been approved. Not everyone involved is equally happy with the result.
A series of revelations came to light last year around Activision Blizzard, the maker of Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, among others. Harassment, sexism, sexual harassment, paying less for sharing nude photos of colleagues and women and giving fewer promotion opportunities were commonplace. One employee committed suicide after extensive bullying.
That led to a settlement in September last year. Activision Blizzard was willing to pay $18 million to end a lawsuit brought by the US regulator EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). The judge said he is ready to accept that settlement this week, writes the Wall Street journal.
This took so long to do with another legal wrangling, which led to the complaint dragging on for months. For example, both the EEOC and the DFEH, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, had jurisdiction. The first is a federal agency, and the second is a California state agency.
The DFEH believes that the settlement undermines states’ rights in their jurisdiction and that Activision Blizzard’s prompt willingness to pay did not follow the normal legal process. The Washington Post warns that the current settlement with EEOC could potentially prevent other lawsuits, while the DFEH tends to act more aggressively, potentially harming victims.