California authorities accused Activision Blizzard of destroying physical evidence
The State of California believes that Activision Blizzard is obstructing an investigation into harassment. This includes the destruction of important documents. Against this background, the authorities expanded the lawsuit against the company, adding a number of changes and clarifications to it.Diablo II: Resurrected
The amended lawsuit was filed on Monday, according to the publication Axios.
In the document, the California Department of Fair Employment and Placement (DFEH) gave a new definition to a group of people who suffered from the actions of Activision Blizzard.
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“employees” in the text of the claim were replaced by “employees”. The California authorities also note that protection from harassment, the right to equal pay and other guarantees should apply not only to full-time employees, but also to temporary employees.In the amended lawsuit, DFEH announced a new claim against Activision Blizzard. The department claims that the company directly impedes “judicial investigation and elimination of violations related to discrimination and harassment in the workplace.”
According to DFEH, the human resources department destroyed documents and employee complaints related to the case, although Activision Blizzard was obliged to keep them until the end of the proceedings. Also, with the help of special NDAs, employees were obliged to first discuss their claims with the company, prohibiting them from contacting DFEH directly.
Another important point of the amended lawsuit is Activision Blizzard’s cooperation with the WilmerHale law firm, which the publisher hired to conduct an internal investigation. This company is known for helping corporations fight unions. At the same time, the presence of a long-term working relationship between the management of Activision Blizzard and WilmerHale may create a conflict of interest and hinder an independent investigation.
Initially, DFEH filed a lawsuit against the American publisher at the end of July. Since then, Activision Blizzard shares have lost value, and employees have organized a strike. Also, against the background of the scandal, Jay Allen Brack left the post of president of Blizzard, and investors threatened the company with another lawsuit.