Riot Games Agrees to Pay $10M to Female Employees Due to Discrimination Claims
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Video game company, Riot Games, recently agreed to pay $10 million to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit. Women employed at Riot Games over the last five years were included in the class.
The gender discrimination class action began with plaintiffs Gabriella Downie, and Jessica Negron filed suit against the company. The plaintiffs claim that Riot Games employed business practices that violated labor law.
Riot Games is Accused of Several Employment Law Violations:
According to the lawsuit filed by Downie and Negron, the video game company violated numerous employment laws and standards.
Paying female employees less than male employees in similar positions at the company.
Assigning women lower-paying positions at the company, even when they are equally as qualified as men assigned to higher-paying jobs.
Promoting men in similar job positions and with comparable qualifications more often than their female co-workers.
Assigning or demoting female employees to lower-paid positions in comparison to similarly situated men at the company (even when the women’s qualifications were equal to or greater than the men receiving promotions).
Creating, sustaining, and even promoting a hostile work environment where female employees were exposed to harassment, discrimination, and retaliation based on their gender.
The plaintiffs brought causes of action for violations of the Equal pay Act and the Fair Employment and Housing Act, referencing several specific employment law violations, including unequal pay, retaliation, discrimination, and harassment.
Reaching a Settlement with Riot Games:
The suit resulted in intense negotiations. The negotiations included several days of mediation, after which the parties were able to reach a settlement agreement resolving all claims. The settlement agreement was reached on November 14, 2019. The settlement attempted to strike a balance between the risk of continued litigation and fair compensation. According to the terms of the agreement, no class member will receive less than $500, with the majority of class members receiving a minimum of $5,000.
If you need to discuss discrimination in the workplace or if you need to file a discrimination lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in any one of various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.
