Blizzard’s J Allen Brack Addresses Lawsuit Allegations In Memo To Employees: ‘I Disdain Bro Culture’

Update 10:57 a.m. PT: This story has been updated to include a separate memo sent by Fran Townsend of Activision Blizzard. The update was added at the end of the story.

Original story:

In the wake of allegations that Activision Blizzard has fostered an environment that has seen a “bro culture” allowed to flourish at the company, Blizzard president J. Allen Brack sent a memo to employees, calling These allegations are “extremely disturbing.”

Internal memo, released by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Brack condemned “brother culture,” saying he’s spent his career fighting against that pervasive force in the games industry. While Brack does not admit fault, on his part or on behalf of Blizzard in general, he does address the allegations and that he wants employees to feel comfortable dealing with issues and complaints, both with internal or external source.

“Suffice to say – it takes courage to come forward and all claims made to the company are investigated by internal and (when needed) investigators. We take these statements very seriously. . Can make claims without fear of reprisal, and many times, I attend with them personally, along with our other leaders,” Brack said in a memo to employees.

Further down in the memo, Brack suggested feminist activist Gloria Steinem – whom he calls “the revered saint of the Brack family.” Brack went on to state that “the fight for equality is of the utmost importance” to him, saying that he despises “brother culture”.

“Step back – when I talk to Bobby [Kotick] About taking up this job, one of the first things I mentioned was a revered saint of the Brack family – Gloria Steinem. Growing up, women’s values ​​as being equal, understanding the work that was done to be treated equally, and the fact that there was still much work to be done, were common themes. This is just one of the reasons that the fight for equality is so important to me. People with different perspectives, perspectives, and experiences are essential to Blizzard, our teams, and our community of players. I despise ‘brother culture’ and have spent my career fighting it. “

It should be noted that in the lawsuit, Brack was mentioned in particular, with a complaint filed by the California Department of Fair Housing and Deployment stating that the Blizzard president, and the company as a whole, had “failed to take effective action in response” to the complaints. allegation of harassment and culture bro. is said to have allowed the company to flourish.

The lawsuit alleges:

“Multiple complaints of unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation have been made to Defendants’ human resources employees and executives, including Blizzard Entertainment President J. Allen Brack. However, Defendends failed to take effective action in response to these complaints. Complaints are discouraged because human resources staff are known to be close to the alleged harassers. An internal investigation of the human resources unit revealed that there was a “massive lack of trust” and “regardless personnel.” Complaints were handled frivolously, one-sidedly, and were not kept confidential. According to this complaint, female employees are subject to retaliation, including but not limited to being stripped of their work on projects, unwilling to move to different units, and having the option of being fired.”

Brack noted in the memo that Blizzard leadership will be meeting with employees to discuss “how we can move forward.” Brack also emphasized to employees who received the memo that they can talk to any manager, HR partner, legal, and even encouraged those employees to feel more comfortable talking. outside company stories through Activision Blizzard’s Way2Play Integrity Line, operated by an independent third party.

You can read the full memo in the tweet below. For its part, Activision Blizzard’s public statement upon learning of the lawsuit took a different tone, striking back strongly at the California Department of Housing and Fair Employment for its handling of the investigation, stating that the claims the father is accused of being misrepresented or untrue. , and more. You can read original statement here.

Blizzard President J. Allen Brack emailed employees last night addressing the allegations from the lawsuit that erupted this week, calling them “extremely troubling” and saying he would “meet” many of you to answer questions and discuss how we can move forward.” pic.twitter.com/NsMV6CNdTE

– Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) July 23, 2021

Update:

Activision’s Chief Compliance Officer Fran Townsend is said to have sent a separate memo to employees, which, according to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, some employees are “fuming”. The memo, which feels more fiery and matches Activision Blizzards’ statement released on Wednesday, calls the lawsuit brought by the State of California “unfair and irresponsible.” She claimed in the memo that the lawsuit presented a “distorted and untrue” picture, saying it presented “old and untrue stories – some from more than a decade ago.” century ago.”

The memo mentions the work Activision Blizzard has done to take what Townsend calls “a tough approach to inappropriate or hostile work environments and issues of sexual harassment.” She also went on to say that the team at Activision Blizzard has “put a lot of effort into creating fair compensation policies that reflect [Activision Blizzard’s] commitment to equal opportunity. “

You can read the full statement in the Tweet embed below.

Activision Blizzard CEO Fran Townsend, who served as Homeland Security Advisor to George W. Bush from 2004-2007 and joined Activision in March, sent a very different type of email featuring several Blizzard employees. is smoking. pic.twitter.com/BxGeMTuRYF

– Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) July 23, 2021