Things have been generally quiet for a while, but for over a year Activision Blizzard has been subject to multiple kinds of legal scrutiny due to a long history of “frat house” workplace culture. But a new lawsuit has caused a refreshed ripple effect of sorts, as a former employee has filed a new suit not only targeting Activision Blizzard as an organization, but specifically identifying a former manager.
The suit, which is one of many being spearheaded by famous lawyer Lisa Bloom, heavily focuses on the personal experiences “Jane Doe” had with her former manager (and ex-Activision Blizzard employee) Miguel Vega. The lawsuit alleges a laundry list of workplace conduct violations including sexual harassment and assault, threats of “revenge porn,” inaction on part of the company and HR and more.
The suit was filed in Los Angeles, and was originally reported by the Daily Mail (then later confirmed on social media by Bloom). Bloom’s lawfirm is now representing eight different women in cases all related to the same topic, sexual harassment in the workplace. These suits follow an ongoing case filed by the state of California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
The case with California is still ongoing, but Activision has already settled a similar case with the United States’ Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, agreeing to pay $18 million to former employees and charitable organizations. This all happened shortly before Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for an absurd amount of money, a sale that has yet to go before the Federal Trade Commission. There was also the whole Raven QA unionization effort, among other events. It’s been a busy year for more than just goofy Overwatch 2 error code guides.
