Ubisoft Execs Found Guilty of Harassment: A Dark Chapter
Okay, so this is pretty heavy stuff. Three former big shots at Ubisoft have been found guilty of some seriously awful behavior. We're talking sexual and psychological harassment against women at their Paris studio. I mean, it's one thing to make a bad game, but this is a whole other level of messed up.
The details coming out of the trial are just...wow. Apparently, Thomas François, who used to be the editorial vice-president, was found guilty of sexual harassment, psychological harassment, and even attempted sexual assault. The stories that came out in court are shocking. He was accused of some crazy stuff, like taping a woman to a chair and pushing her into an elevator. I can't imagine how scary that must have been.
And get this, another woman said he made her do handstands when she wore a miniskirt to work. Her words "He was my superior and I was afraid of him. He made me do handstands. I did it to get it over with and get rid of him." Seriously? What kind of work environment is that? François tried to brush it off as just "joking around," but another staff member described the studio culture as a "boys' club above the law." I think that sums it up perfectly.
Then there's Serge Hascoët, the former chief creative officer. He was found guilty of psychological harassment and complicity in sexual harassment. The guy apparently ordered assistants to do personal errands, like picking up his deliveries. And, this is just disgusting, he allegedly blew his nose in a tissue and told a young woman it was "worth gold at Ubisoft." Seriously, what the hell?
Guillaume Patrux, a former game director, also got nailed for psychological harassment. His behavior sounds completely unhinged. Drawing swastikas on a woman's notebook, throwing office equipment, cracking a whip near people's faces, and even setting a guy's beard on fire with a lighter! All three denied the charges, of course.
While this verdict brings some justice to the women who were affected, I think it's important to remember that a lot of complaints from 2020 still haven't been addressed. Ubisoft promised to investigate, but apparently HR dropped the ball on a lot of it. It's pretty sad that it took the French legal system to finally do something about it. Hopefully, this sends a message that this kind of behavior won't be tolerated, not at Ubisoft, and not anywhere else. I am waiting for the Ubisoft official statement.
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun