Several top employees of Activision Blizzard resigned or was allowed to leave by the company after DFEH complaints and subsequent investigations. Others were directly affected by the lawsuits, including former chief of staff Ben Kilgore and former presidents. Diabulu 4 and World of Warcraft. Company President J. Allen Brack, who DFEH claims to be aware of the harassment allegations, he too resigned.
“In the past, we did not even ask anyone to resign,” said a Blizzard staff member who traveled with him. “We believed you could fix this and let people learn and grow.” But after a bomb report published by a Wall Street Journal On Tuesday, the employee continued, to Kotick “There is a belief that honesty does not allow learning and growth.”
The report states that Kotick did not misrepresent his knowledge of the seriousness and seriousness of the offenses against Activision Blizzard officials and board members. The agency said it was blinded by California DFEH complaints in the summer, although the department’s investigation began two years ago. “Some of the employees who left were charged with misconduct were commended for leaving, while their colleagues were asked not to respond to anything,” he said. Journal reports.
The Wall Street Journal also covers a number of lawsuits involving the CEO himself. Kotick allegedly harassed an agent in 2006, including saying in voicemail that he had been killed. Kotick’s spokesman says he apologized at the time and regrets it. In 2007, the pilot on his jet sued Kotick after he was fired for allegedly harassing the pilot. He settled with the employee and paid him $ 200,000, according to a Journal. Kotick’s spokesman has denied the allegations.
In his statement, Activision Blizzard denied it Wall Street Journal the report and said it provided “misconceptions of Activision Blizzard and our CEO. what we need. “
Kotick himself also sent a video message to employees Tuesday, in which he said the report “exposes the erroneous and misleading ideas of our company, about me, and my leadership.” He added, “Anyone who doubts that I am a welcome and cohesive place at work does not realize the importance of this to me.” Kotick added that the company is moving forward with “a new policy of zero zero tolerance – and zero means zero. Any dirty and illegal practice.” A spokesperson for Activision Blizzard told WIRED that the company no longer has any comments.
“I don’t know if anyone I know in the company thinks Bobby Kotick and his Trump-era terrorists want the best for employees,” said a former Blizzard employee who asked not to be identified for fear of repercussions. (Chief compliance officer Frances Townsend served as President George W. Bush’s Homeland Security Advisor and administration chief Brian Bulatao worked with Trump’s administration.)