The parents of a woman who died by suicide at an Activision Blizzard company retreat in 2017 have asked for their lawsuit against the company to be dismissed.
Their complaint claimed that sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard was a significant factor in the death of Kerri Moynihan, 32, which was also referenced in the original lawsuit against the company from the state of California over its "frat boy culture".
As reported by Axios, the parents of Moynihan asked a California court to dismiss the "entire action" of their lawsuit, originally filed in March, on May 6. They also requested it be dismissed "with prejudice", meaning the same lawsuit cannot be filed again. No public explanation was given for why the suit was pulled.
Their lawsuit claimed Activision Blizzard was liable for preventing the harassment against Moynihan including at a holiday party where sensitive photos were passed around amongst other employees. It also claimed Moynihan's direct manager lied to Anaheim police over his relation with her. This manager has since left the company.
Activision Blizzard said the original California lawsuit that referenced Moynihan's death "includes distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard’s past."
In response to the parents' lawsuit after it was filed, an Activision Blizzard spokesperson told IGN the company is "deeply saddened by the tragic death of Ms. Moynihan, who was a valued member of the company. We will address the complaint through the legal process as appropriate, and out of respect for the family we have no further comment at this time.”
The original lawsuit over Activision Blizzard's "frat boy culture" became the first in a long series of accusations against the company and is currently pending in Los Angeles Superior Court with an expected trial date in February 2023.
Activision Blizzard recently settled another sexual harassment lawsuit with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for $18 million but faces similar allegations from an anonymous individual and, of course, the state of California. For a full timeline of the events that have transpired since, including Xbox's intent to acquire Activision Blizzard, check out IGN's story here.
Suicide: If you are having suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline in the U.S. is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255. A list of international suicide hotlines can be found here.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
Continue reading...
Their complaint claimed that sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard was a significant factor in the death of Kerri Moynihan, 32, which was also referenced in the original lawsuit against the company from the state of California over its "frat boy culture".
As reported by Axios, the parents of Moynihan asked a California court to dismiss the "entire action" of their lawsuit, originally filed in March, on May 6. They also requested it be dismissed "with prejudice", meaning the same lawsuit cannot be filed again. No public explanation was given for why the suit was pulled.
Their lawsuit claimed Activision Blizzard was liable for preventing the harassment against Moynihan including at a holiday party where sensitive photos were passed around amongst other employees. It also claimed Moynihan's direct manager lied to Anaheim police over his relation with her. This manager has since left the company.
Activision Blizzard said the original California lawsuit that referenced Moynihan's death "includes distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard’s past."
In response to the parents' lawsuit after it was filed, an Activision Blizzard spokesperson told IGN the company is "deeply saddened by the tragic death of Ms. Moynihan, who was a valued member of the company. We will address the complaint through the legal process as appropriate, and out of respect for the family we have no further comment at this time.”
The original lawsuit over Activision Blizzard's "frat boy culture" became the first in a long series of accusations against the company and is currently pending in Los Angeles Superior Court with an expected trial date in February 2023.
Activision Blizzard recently settled another sexual harassment lawsuit with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for $18 million but faces similar allegations from an anonymous individual and, of course, the state of California. For a full timeline of the events that have transpired since, including Xbox's intent to acquire Activision Blizzard, check out IGN's story here.
Suicide: If you are having suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline in the U.S. is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255. A list of international suicide hotlines can be found here.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
Continue reading...