Content warning: The following article contains source links to articles discussing rape, suicide, verbal abuse, and harassment.
Activision Blizzard executives including Blizzard President J. Allen Brack and Activision Blizzard executive Fran Townsend have formally addressed the lawsuit Activision Blizzard is facing in emails to the company. The emails arrived after the California Department of Fair Employment & Housing filed a lawsuit against the gaming giant earlier this week, accusing the company of sexual discrimination, retaliation, and harassment. A two-year investigation by the State of California unearthed a toxic company culture and a “frat boy” mentality within the workplace. Both Blizzard Entertainment, which is under J. Allen Brack’s leadership, and Activision Blizzard, which is under Daniel Alegre’s leadership, are under intense scrutiny following these accusations.
The lawsuit asserts that Activision Blizzard has a history of withheld promotions, wage disparity, and derogatory behavior towards working mothers. The lawsuit is also targeting the company for discrimination based on sex, failure to prevent discrimination and harassment, and unequal pay.
In response to the lawsuit, Blizzard president J. Allen Brack sent out an email to his staff on Thursday night, which addressed the allegations made by the State of California. This email was shared to Twitter by journalist Jason Schreier, along with another email from Activision Blizzard executive Fran Townsend. In his email, Brack said that “the allegations and the hurt of current and former employees are extremely troubling.” The president claimed that he will meet with staff “to answer questions and discuss how we can move forward.” Brack also explained to the staff that “you can talk to any manager, any HR partner, any member of the legal team” regarding issues with company culture. Brack claimed that he feels “angry, sad, and a host of other emotions” in light of the lawsuit and its allegations.
Townsend's email strikes a different tone by telling employees that the 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." Townsend, as Schreier points out, has been with Activision since March, and previously served as the Homeland Security Advisor to former president George W. Bush from 2004 to 2007. Her dismissive tone, according to Schreier, has angered some Blizzard employees.
These emails occupy two extremes with regards to the lawsuit. While Brack devotes his time to addressing and acknowledging the findings of the DFEH, Townsend largely refutes the lawsuit altogether, and explicitly stresses how "truly meritless and irresponsible" it is. The accuracy of her arguments remains to be determined through the investigation and lawsuit.
Source: Jason Schreier/Twitter