A judge approves an $18M settlement between Activision Blizzard and the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, ending the federal sexual harassment lawsuit

Shannon Liao / Washington Post :

Washington Post 2022-03-30 Shannon Liao

Context & Ripple Effects

The court order completes the EEOC process that began with Activision Blizzard’s announcement of an $18M claimant-compensation fund in September 2021. It matters because the federal case is now resolved through that fund, while the related coverage identifies a separate California workplace-harassment case as a distinct exposure.

First-order effects

Activision Blizzard exits the EEOC’s federal sexual-harassment lawsuit and must proceed with the $18M fund for eligible claimants.
Eligible claimants gain access to the settlement mechanism tied to the EEOC case.

Second-order effects

The approval does not resolve California’s separate 2021 case, leaving Activision Blizzard to address state-level allegations independently of the federal settlement.

Third-order effects

The split between the EEOC resolution and the separate California proceeding points to employment disputes being pursued across overlapping federal and state channels, rather than being closed by a single company settlement.

The trend: Workplace-conduct enforcement is increasingly producing parallel federal and state proceedings that require companies to resolve exposure jurisdiction by jurisdiction.

Discussion

@jonnypeltz @jonnypeltz on x
“The settlement also allows the publisher to use unclaimed funds for its own women's charity funds. DFEH is wary that control over some of the money could return to the company that the settlement is meant to punish.” - LA28's Casey Wasserman is a board member of this company htt…
@freethewolfvo @freethewolfvo on x
More from WaPo. “'They lose a small amount and they are effectively undercutting the state law proceedings...' Activision recorded $2.16 billion in revenue in the quarter ending in December and a total of $8.8 billion in 2021.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.…
@hippowombat Christian Sparks on x
Kotick could receive $293 million if he exits the company due to a change in control following the Microsoft acquisition. Over sixteen times this settlement amount. What the fuck. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@lisabloom Lisa Bloom on x
For years, women workers at Activision Blizzard had to fight monsters inside the company who propositioned, groped and assaulted them. This settlement is woefully inadequate. My clients' press conference statements are in this article. https://www.latimes.com/...
@shannon_liao Shannon Liao on x
Activision Blizzard is settling a $18 million sexual harassment lawsuit with the EEOC. A judge said Tuesday she would approve. California state agency DFEH tried to delay the settlement, but judge Dale Fischer insisted she would sign and told them, “Talk to the ninth circuit.”
@eurogamer @eurogamer on x
Judge “prepared to approve” Activision Blizzard's $18m sexual harassment settlement with EEOC, despite objections from other parties https://www.eurogamer.net/...
@gibiz @gibiz on x
Federal regulator's suit ends with $18 million fund created for those the publisher was accused of discriminating against https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ ...
@charlieintel @charlieintel on x
A California judge has approved Activision Blizzard's settlement with the EEOC over sexual harassment claims. The company will create an $18 million fund and EEOC will have 3 years of oversight over the funds distribution.

Chronicles