This story may contain triggering comments in relation to sexual harassment, reader discretion is advised.
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing has filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard with claims that employees have faced "constant sexual harassment, including groping, comments, and advances" due to a "frat boy workplace culture".
The suit, which comes after over two years of investigation, also alleges that women at Activision Blizzard were paid less than men in the same roles and promoted more slowly than them. Activision Blizzard has vigorously denied the claims in a response today, stating the case has "distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard's past."
Before the lawsuit was filed, alternative methods of dispute resolution were attempted, though ultimately "the parties involved were unable to resolve the administrative complaints". On behalf of the plaintiffs, the DFEH requested damages, unpaid wages, and compensation of an amount to be determined by a jury trial.