Activision’s internal investigation finds no “systemic issue” with harassment

Enlarge / Taking a close look... (credit: Aurich Lawson / Ars Technica)

Last November, The Wall Street Journal published a damning report alleging that Activision CEO Bobby Kotick withheld information about harassment allegations from his board of directors. The report also suggested that Activision executives failed to act decisively to address the kind of widespread complaints contained in a California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) lawsuit filed last July.

In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Thursday, Activision's board of directors said the company has concluded its own thorough investigation of those claims, which it says shows that "we are not a company that looks the other way."

After consulting with external advisers, talking with employees, and reviewing contemporaneous notes, Activision writes "that there is no evidence to suggest that Activision Blizzard senior executives ever intentionally ignored or attempted to downplay the instances of gender harassment that occurred and were reported." The company's board of directors also didn't withhold any information from the company, Activision writes.

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