One of the several sexual harassment lawsuits levied against Activision Blizzard has been settled. A US judge approved an $18 million (USD) settlement between Activision Blizzard and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Like many of the other lawsuits against the company, this one included several counts of sexual harassment, sexual discrimination, issues with how the company handled pregnancies, and retaliation against female employees.
This specific settlement was first agreed upon in September 2021. However, the finalization of it was delayed after disputes between the California Department of Fair and Equal Housing (DFEH) and the EEOC muddied the waters of their separate legal battles against Activision Blizzard. At the time, Activision Blizzard used these issues to try to weasel their way out of at least one of the legal fights on their hands.
The DFEH believed that the settlement with the EEOC would undermine their own legal battle. However, District Judge Dale Fischer went ahead and approved the settlement on Tuesday.
The court filing says, "The court is generally satisfied that both the monetary relief and the nonmonetary provisions are fair, reasonable, and adequate."
Part of the settlement will be put towards various programs at Activision Blizzard that will be for preventing harassment and discrimination as well as expanding mental health counseling services. The EEOC will oversee these programs. The rest of the money will be donated to charities selected by the EEOC. Charities that focus on women in the gaming industry and gender equality issues will be top picks.
The $18 million settlement really is just a drop in the bucket for the game studio. The valuation of Activision Blizzard is currently estimated to be around $62 billion, or closer to $68.2 billion depending on when and how you determine a company's worth. Activision Blizzard CEO was given a $155 million bonus in 2021. $18 million is next to nothing.
However, there are still at least three other lawsuits against Activision Blizzard. One of those three is from the DFEH. A trial date for this lawsuit is tentatively set for February 2023.
