Last summer, game publisher Activision Blizzard faced multiple legal issues over the sexual harassment of female employees. The family of an employee who killed herself is now suing the company, alleging sexual harassment played a role in her death.
Kerri Moynihan, a finance manager at Activision Blizzard, was found dead in 2017 after the company Incentivized Leisure Games. Her parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Activision Blizzard this week, The Washington Post reported Friday.
The complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that when Moynihan was approached by Anaheim Police Department investigators, her then-supervisor denied that they were in a relationship.
When police asked to see laptops and cellphones distributed by Moynihan, Activision Blizzard refused, saying the devices had been “cleared,” the lawsuit said.
An Activision Blizzard spokesman said in an emailed statement on Friday that the company would address the complaint, but it had no further comment. “We at Activision Blizzard were and are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Ms. Moynihan, a valued member of the company.”
Activision Blizzard’s legal troubles began in July, when the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing it of sexual harassment and sexism and promoting a “fraternity boy” culture.
The complaint mentions the harassment Moynihan faced but does not name her. Both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have investigated the company’s discriminatory practices. Since then, Activision Blizzard has paid $18 million in fines and fired more than 20 employees.
It came under fire in November after The Wall Street Journal reported on CEO Bobby Kotick’s years of knowledge about workplace harassment. Kotick and the company said at the time that the claim was “inaccurate and misleading.”
In January, Microsoft announced that it would acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has promised a change in the company’s culture following the acquisition.