A
report on the Wall Street Journal (may require registration or subscription) has the latest fallout from the
sexual harassment scandal at Activision Blizzard that has inspired a couple of
lawsuits and other issues for the gaming giant. The WSJ says that the company
has received over 700 reports of workplace misconduct since July, a figure that
Activision Blizzard challenges. It also says there have been firings and
disciplinary actions that have not been announced. Reportedly Bobby Kotick wanted
to suppress this news, apparently thinking that appearing to address the problem
would be a bad look:
Activision Blizzard Inc. has fired or pushed out more
than three dozen employees and disciplined about 40 others since July as part of
efforts to address allegations of sexual harassment and other misconduct at the
videogame giant, according to people familiar with the situation.
A summary of those personnel actions was scheduled to be released by Activision
before the winter holidays, but Chief Executive Bobby Kotick held it back,
telling some people it could make the company’s workplace problems seem bigger
than is already known, the people familiar with the situation said.