Activision Blizzard Employees Walk Out After Damning Report

CEO Bobby Kotick allegedly knew about sexual misconduct allegations for years
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 17, 2021 1:56 AM CST
Activision Blizzard CEO Knew About Allegations for Years: Report
In this July 7, 2020 file photo, Activision Blizzard CEO Robert Kotick arrives at the morning session of the annual Allen & Co. Media Summit in Sun Valley, Idaho.   (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

Activision Blizzard employees staged a walk-out Tuesday after a damning report about the videogame company's CEO came out. Robert "Bobby" Kotick knew about allegations of sexual misconduct at the company for years and tried to keep things hush-hush, sources tell the Wall Street Journal. Since the lawsuit filed in July and multiple regulatory investigations launched into the company in recent months, Kotick has told the board of directors and executives at the company that he didn't know about the allegations, sources say. But the Journal reports that as far back as 2018, Kotick received an email alleging a female employee at the company had been raped multiple times by her male supervisor. The woman reported one of the rapes to police, and had also reported the incidents to HR, with no action being taken, sources say.

Ultimately, the company reached a settlement with the woman out of court, and Kotick allegedly kept the incident from the board of directors. It was 2018 when regulators began investigating allegations of sexual misconduct at the company, and the memos, emails, and other documents the Journal reviewed show a pattern of Kotick being aware of the allegations but keeping what he knew quiet. Some employees say they were asked to keep quiet about what they knew, as well. The Journal's full investigation, which includes allegations that have not been previously reported publicly, is here. It also alleges it was Kotick, not the female employee purported to have written it, who authored a very controversial letter to workers that served only to infuriate them after allegations started making headlines earlier this year.

Employees cited the Journal article when staging their second walkout of the year, NBC News reports. "We have instituted our own Zero Tolerance Policy," they write at a newly-created Twitter account. "We will not be silenced until Bobby Kotick has been replaced as CEO, and continue to hold our original demand for Third-Party review by an employee-chosen source." Activision Blizzard replied with a statement saying the employees have the "right to express their opinions and concerns in a safe and respectful manner, without fear of retaliation." As for the Journal article, Kotaku has a lengthy statement from the company, which says the piece presents a "misleading view" of Kotick and the company. Kotick himself is accused of threatening to kill or "destroy" female employees. Shares dropped following the Journal report, CNBC reports. (More Activision stories.)

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