Riot Games is investigating its CEO after a former employee accused the company of “wrongfully terminat[ing]” her employment after she complained about alleged sexual advances he made towards her to the HR.
Sharon O’Donnell worked as an executive assistant for the video games developer from October 2017 to July 2020. She said she was subject to sexual harassment from CEO Nicolo Laurent throughout her employment, according to a lawsuit filed against the company January.
Riot’s statement says that Laurent is cooperating with the investigation and supporting the board’s investigation.The board of the California-based company has hired a third-party law firm to investigate Laurent
O’Donnell’s lawsuit said Laurent invited her to travel with him and work from his home — pointedly mentioning that his wife would not be there. O’Donnell’s suit says Laurent asked her if she “could handle him when they were alone at his house.”
Other allegations against Laurent include an incident where he told several female employees that the best way to handle COVID-19-related stress was to “have kids.” Riot Games is no stranger to controversy surrounding its workplace culture, which was first brought to light in 2018 following an investigation from Kotaku. In recent years, the company has faced several legal challenges brought forth by former employees according to the Verge..