A two year legal battle between Activision Blizzard and the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) appeared to draw to a close earlier this week, although the two parties apparently can’t agree on the specifics.
For context, the CRD filed a lawsuit against the Call of Duty company in 2021, accusing it of toxic workplace conditions and gender discrimination, which included pay inequity and sexual harassment towards multiple female employees. A settlement of approximately $54 million has since been reached, though Activision added that the CRD withdrew the sexual harassment allegations, thus making the settlement entirely about pay inequity.
“As the CRD acknowledged explicitly in the agreement, ‘CRD is filing along with a Proposed Consent Decree a Second Amended Complaint that withdraws, among other allegations and causes of action, the Fifth Cause of Action – ‘Employment Discrimination – Because of Sex – Harassment,'” an Activision Blizzard representative told Dot Esports.
This is because no court or independent investigation was able to substantiate claims of systemic sexual harassment within the company, nor allegations that “Activision Blizzard’s Board of Directors, including its Chief Executive Officer, Robert Kotick, acted improperly with regard to the handling of any instances of workplace misconduct.”
A document signed by both parties containing the above information was also sent. However, GamesIndustry.biz received a separate statement from the CRD, one which refutes Activision Blizzard’s, saying it has yet to confirm the withdrawal of any of its allegations. What’s more, the settlement agreement hasn’t been completed and the CRD is in the process of finalizing a proposed consent decree and a proposed second amended complaint. As such, “[It] would be misleading to report on CRD’s allegations without reviewing the document,” says the CRD.
Activision Blizzard has denied claims of inappropriate workplace behavior since the lawsuit was filed. Last year, it even sued the CRD back for “deliberately [unleashing] a hurricane of hostile media coverage against the Company based on malicious and knowingly false assertions.”
CEO Bobby Kotick himself was alleged to have been aware of instances of sexual harassment for years, resulting in demands from both inside and outside Activision Blizzard for him to resign. Today, Kotick announced his departure from Activision Blizzard at the end of 2023.
