A sexual discrimination lawsuit filed against Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has been dismissed by a federal judge.
This lawsuit was originally filed by a former SIE employee, Emma Majo, back in November 2021. In the suit, the plaintiff says that SIE did not offer the same career advancements to women as it did to men. The lawsuit also claims that SIE violated the Equal Pay Act and wrongfully terminated her employment at the company.
Axios is the first to break this story, having seen a court document that says US magistrate judge Laurel Beeler dismissed most claims in the complaint "because the allegations are mostly conclusory."
"For example, she does not describe her work or how her work was substantially equal to the work of any male allegedly paid more than she was paid."
Judge Beeler's ruling made it clear that Majo did not present enough facts or specifics to make her case. For instance, in the claim over wage discrimination, Majo "merely recited the elements of the claim and did not allege any specific facts." Majo did "not describe her work or how her work was substantially equal to the work of any male allegedly paid more than she was paid."
In March, several other women who worked or are currently working at SIE had their personal accounts added to the lawsuit. Still, the bulk of the lawsuit has been dismissed.
Majo now has 28 days to prepare a second complaint that addresses the judge's concerns. This amended complaint, along with those eight additional statements "may yield new allegations."
Following the addition of the statements from eight additional women in March, Sony released a brief statement:
"Although most are by former employees who no longer work at SIE, SIE either has addressed or will address the issues raised in them in due course, as SIE values its female employees and takes proactive steps to ensure they have every opportunity to thrive and be heard.
"But these new declarations say nothing about whether the operative complaint in this case contains sufficient facts to support the sweeping claims [the] plaintiff has alleged."
"But these new declarations say nothing about whether the operative complaint in this case contains sufficient facts to support the sweeping claims [the] plaintiff has alleged."
