CA Files an Appeal to Intervene in the $18 Million Activision Blizzard Settlement
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) is appealing a judge’s ruling that prevented it from intervening in Activision Blizzard’s $18m settlement to end a sex discrimination lawsuit last year.
Activision continues to be under intense scrutiny after California’s DFEH claimed the gaming giant fostered a “frat boy” work culture. In a lawsuit filed in July 2021, the department claimed this toxic workplace led to sex-based discrimination, including harassment against female employees.
The case runs parallel to other probing and litigation. The US National Labor Relations Board is investigating a complaint made by the Communications Workers of America Union, which accused the games maker of intimidating staff and illegally hampering their attempts to form a union. The Securities Exchange Commission is also investigating whether the company failed to report claims of sexual discrimination and harassment to investors before they were aired publicly, causing share prices to drop.
