A former HR manager from Bungie, the developer of Destiny 2 and Marathon, has initiated legal action against the company. The plaintiff claims she was wrongfully terminated after reporting potential cases of discrimination within the company.
Why is Bungie being sued now? The controversy began after a former HR manager, who had worked at Bungie since May 2022, pointed out alleged racial bias within the company, as reported by IGN.
- The HR manager was tasked with assessing the performance of an employee who was the only non-white employee in a 50-member team at Bungie.
- When she spoke with the employee about his concerns, he reportedly informed her that he felt excluded and racially attacked by his supervisor.
She promptly shared this information, which was troubling for her, and strongly recommended that the supervisor of the employee in question undergo diversity training.
However, her recommendation was met with “hostility and rejection” and even led to her unjust termination. And that, she claims, for absurd reasons.
Developers under pressure again with the lawsuit
Here’s why her proposal was rejected: The assessment of the experienced HR manager was not taken seriously by the Bungie staff. On the contrary, her supervisors were anything but pleased. So much so that this led to her involuntary termination.
- The now former HR manager claims that her recommendations at the time were dismissed on the grounds that the individuals she suggested for diversity training were “veterans” and “highly regarded” employees.
- Furthermore, it is alleged that Bungie even considered directly firing the affected employee instead.
This decision was vehemently contested by the now former HR manager. She sought additional advice from Dr. Courtney Benjamin, Bungie’s Director of Equity and Inclusion, who is responsible for ensuring equality for all employees.
However, this decision also did not sit well with her supervisors.
She claims that one of her supervisors became extremely angry
with her for even reaching out to the Director of Equity and Inclusion.
Her supervisor even issued her a written warning via email and called Dr. Benjamin to apologize for her actions. He reportedly justified his actions by stating that “he didn’t want her to think he was a racist.“
After the incident, several other inexplicable things happened.
- Suddenly and unexpectedly, the former HR manager was classified in the employee category “Needs Improvement.” And this, despite having previously received excellent evaluations from both colleagues and clients.
- Her supervisor is also said to have advised her to look for an “exit,” which she interpreted as an invitation to leave her position.
- Shortly thereafter, she had to find out that her email and Bungie platform access no longer worked, and her inquiries about this remained unanswered for several days.
- At the end of September, she was informed that her resignation had been accepted. However, she emphasized that she had never intended to resign and wanted to keep her job.
For this reason, she also refused to sign a document from Bungie stating that she had “voluntarily resigned,” and noted that an email in which she explained her situation had gone unanswered.
The now-terminated HR manager is instead seeking recourse in a lawsuit against Bungie in the form of lost past and future wages, compensation for emotional distress, as well as her legal costs.
Bungie denies allegations of retaliation and wrongful termination
What does Bungie say about the allegations? This is not the first time Bungie employees have been noted for racist and sexist biases.
- After an incident in December 2021, the company intended to prevent such situations in the future through changes in personnel management.
- CEO Pete Parsons even announced a number of new initiatives at that time to “acknowledge shortcomings“.
As IGN reports, Bungie’s response to the complaint and lawsuit from its former HR manager does not contain an alternative account of the events. They only state that they “do not have sufficient knowledge or information to form an opinion as to the truth or falsity of the allegations.“
It is clear, however, that Bungie is again under pressure to ensure that their work environments are free from discrimination and prejudices.
When does the trial start? A jury trial is set for January 22, 2024.
What steps would you expect from game developers to ensure their work environment is inclusive and free from discrimination? And do you believe that players can also contribute to driving these changes? We would love to hear your thoughts on this topic in the comments.
Hate and discrimination are also experienced in the game, especially when using a specific weapon: Destiny 2 players are now receiving hate messages for using a weapon category: ‘Honor was never given and will never be given’
