Another sexual harassment lawsuit has been filed againstActivision Blizzardwith the Los Angeles Superior Court. A plaintiff going by “Jane Doe” is claiming that “Activision Blizzard is a massive video game company with a massive sexual harassment problem.” Jane Doe is accusingActivision Blizzardof sexual battery, failure to prevent harassment, gender discrimination, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The last year has seen a flurry of lawsuits filed against Activision Blizzard’s alleged sexual harassment. The largest one of these lawsuits was filed by the State of California’s Civil Rights Division (formerly the Department of Fair Employment and Housing) in July 2021 which blamed Activision Blizzard for fostering a “frat boy” culture. Activision Blizzard’s attempts to have CRD’slawsuit dismissedwere denied by the Judge allowing California’s lawsuit to proceed. A similar lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, was settled for $18 million.
RELATED:Overwatch League Sponsors Quietly Return After Blizzard Lawsuit Controversy
Jane Doe’s lawsuit is merely the latest in thelong line of recent complaints and legal actionagainst Activision Blizzard. Joining Activision Blizzard as a defendant in the lawsuit is Miguel Vega, Jane Doe’s former manager, with whom she had formed a friendship prior to working for Activision Blizzard. The suit alleges that after Vega helped Doe get a position with Activision Blizzard, he groped and tried to kiss Jane Doe while saying “one day you’ll give in.” Vega allegedly insulted, belittled, and tried to blackmail Jane Doe with compromising photos she had sent him nearly a decade earlier when they were friends.
Jane Doe reported the blackmail threats to Activision Blizzard whichfired Vega one month later. The lawsuit states that this action was not enough because more immediate and corrective action was not taken. Failing to react faster was seen, to Jane Doe, that Activision-Blizzard was ratifying Vega’s behavior towards her. “He never missed an opportunity to make her feel small” alleges the lawsuit.
Multiple sexual harassment lawsuits are working their way through the United States legal system while Activision Blizzard is seeking to be bought out by Microsoft. Former Activision Blizzard employees named in lawsuits have resulted in removal of references from popular Blizzard titles, notablyMcCree from Overwatch changing his first name. Former President J. Allen Brack and Chief Legal Officer Claire Hart left Activision Blizzard last year as a result of the wave of litigation. The California CRD lawsuit will be proceeding to trial in February 2023.
MORE:Parents of Suicide Victim Ask For Activision Blizzard Lawsuit To Be Dismissed
