The maker of several popular video games, Riot Games, recently began an investigation into numerous sexual harassment and gender discrimination accusations made against their chief executive, Nicolas Laurent. A lawsuit was filed by a former executive assistant, accusing Laurent of making demeaning gender-based comments and unwanted sexual advancements.
Too many employees are forced to suffer sexual harassment in the workplace, feeling unable to report the incidents because of fear of an employer’s retribution and losing their jobs. Hard-working people lose their potential in unbearable situations. If you have experienced sexual harassment at work, reach out to the sexual harassment attorneys at The Kaufman Law Firm.
Sharon O’Donnell, the executive assistant to Nicholas Laurent, claims after she rejected Laurent’s advances, he grew hostile, diminishing her workplace responsibilities which ultimately lead to her termination last July.
The lawsuit states that the CEO allegedly asked O’Donnell to come to his home and work while his wife was not there. He also allegedly made sexually suggestive remarks to her while at work.
Riot Games has sought the help of an outside law firm and comprised a special committee of its board members. A recent statement from a Riot spokesperson claims, “The plaintiff was dismissed from the company over seven months ago following more than a dozen complaints from both employees and external partners and after multiple coaching discussions to try and address these concerns.”
In January, the Los Angeles County Superior Court began to hear the case. The plaintiff’s lawyers accuse Riot of harboring an unfriendly culture for female employees where female employees have been “discriminated against, harassed and treated as second-class citizens.”
In 2019, Riot Games agreed to pay at least $10 million to settle a lawsuit brought on by current and former employees. The allegations ranged from discrimination to unequal pay for female employees to a “sexually hostile work environment.”
After the initial settlement, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) stepped in and claimed the compensation should include back-pay for discriminatory wage discrepancies and set the mark closer to $400 million. This has since become a legal cluster of individual arbitrations combined with a class action suit.
To eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace, effective communication is key, but too often, communication does not occur because employees are afraid of the ramifications of them speaking up.
After a person reaches out to their human resource department and feels unsatisfied with the response, it is essential to seek experienced legal representation. A knowledgeable attorney can help with:
Sexual harassment, gender inequalities, and discrimination can make the workplace a living nightmare. Matthew A. Kaufman has been successfully finding justice for those who have suffered through similar incidents for more than 20 years.
If you have had to put up with inappropriate activities in the workplace, contact the Los Angeles sexual harassment attorneys at The Kaufman Law Firm for a consultation by clicking here or calling us at 818-990-1999.