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Yet another sexual harassment suit has been filed against Activision Blizzard, adding to an ever-growing pile of claims by former employees.The suit, filed on Oct. 7 by a single, anonymous plaintiff (listed as Jane Doe) against Activision Blizzard and Miguel Vega, a former employee of the company, alleges dozens of instances of sexual harassment and assault from Vega. This suit, originally reported by Kotaku, comes after over a year of turmoil at Activision Blizzard amid allegations of poor treatment of workers and widespread culture of sexual harassment and assault. This is the second case to have been filed in as many months against the company, with the former case brought by the U.S. EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), which has pursued multiple cases against the company in the last year.The allegations in this latest complaint state that Vega would frequently ask Jane Doe inappropriate questions about her sex life and relationship with her husband, including: “How often does he make you cum?” In addition to probing questions, requests for sexual favors, and inappropriate comments, the complaint alleges that Vega would grope Jane Doe, and attempt to kiss her without her consent. Following these instances, Vega would tell Doe that she would “give in eventually,” among other threats and suggestions. These alleged instances of harassment include, according to the complaint:The mounting legal, social, and financial pressure that Activision Blizzard has faced for the last year has led to company-wide staffing changes including firing 40 employees for workplace misconduct in early 2022, audience backlash, and employee work stoppages in protest of its handling of sexual harassment allegations. The company, which once led the AAA publishing and development industry, is left with an increasingly uncertain future.“We take all employee concerns seriously. When the plaintiff reported her concerns, we immediately opened an investigation, and Mr. Vega was terminated within 10 days. We have no tolerance for this kind of misconduct,” Activision Blizzard told Waypoint in an email.Additionally, Lisa Bloom, in an email to Waypoint, stated that it “appears likely” that her firm will pursue multiple cases against Activision Blizzard, citing the company’s perceived inaction as a primary motivator. When asked about the $18 million EEOC settlement, which she had previously criticized, Bloom said: “...$18 million is not even close to comparable settlements at other companies for systemic sexual harassment at this astonishing scale. We will continue to fight for justice for our eight clients.”Update: This story has been updated with comments from Activision Blizzard and Lisa Bloom.
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When Ms. Doe expressed to Mr. Vega on several occasions that she felt underpaid, Mr. Vega often replied with a quid pro quo proposal: “Well you know what you need to do” while he pointed to his crotch.
On numerous occasions, Mr. Vega bragged about how good he was [at] pleasing women in bed. “You don’t know what you’re missing.” He often referred to himself as “a pleaser” and “a giver.”
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According to the complaint, Vega and Doe met in 2009 as friends, well before Doe was hired on as a contractor at Vega’s recommendation in 2016. Vega’s harassment against her allegedly began after she was hired, and did not stop for the following five years. Doe claims that she attempted to get HR involved several times, but Vega threatened to release compromising photos of Doe if she did. The complaint states that Activision Blizzard fired Vega in September of 2021, after Doe complained to his superior the month prior Shortly after August 2021, an initial wave of lawsuits began against the company.Doe is being represented by Lisa Bloom, an attorney with a history of working on high profile sexual harassment cases. Bloom previously represented the accusers of Bill O’Reilly, Donald Trump, and Bill Cosby. In addition to representing sexual harassment victims, Bloom has also consulted for the accused on several instances, including Harvey Weinstein and Amazon executive Roy Price. In December 2021, Bloom held a press conference for another woman who accused Activision Blizzard of sexual misconduct. In that conference, Bloom called for more victims to step forward, offered to represent them in court, and presented a list of demands regarding the ongoing EEOC trial and subsequent $18 million settlement.Often times, Mr. Vega reminded Ms. Doe that he was the one that “made all this happen” (i.e., he got her this job) and that she should be grateful. He said that none of this would have happened without him and that she is even luckier to be working under his wing. Ms. Doe understood that he was attempting to guilt her into having sexual relations with him as if she owed him that.
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