Riot files motion to move gender-discrimination lawsuit into private arbitration

Riot Games has filed a motion to move a class-action lawsuit against the company into arbitration.

According to the motion, Riot Games is seeking to prevent legal action against the company by moving the gender-based discrimination lawsuit into private arbitration.

The motion claims when the employees signed their hiring contracts, they essentially agreed to an arbitration clause which prevents employees from seeking legal action.

Kotaku reports the employment contract forces staff to take “complaints to private arbitration, an extra-legal system without a jury or a judge, rather than pursuing legal action.”

As Kotaku notes (thanks, Gamasutra), controversial contract clauses forcing arbitration have come under fire recently to the point Google, Facebook and Uber have removed the clause when pertaining to harassment cases.

In November 2018 and earlier this year, five current and former employees of Riot Games filed lawsuits citing gender discrimination. Ryan Saba, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, told Kotaku he “plans to fight the forced arbitration” and “believes there is precedent for obtaining a jury trial even when parties involved have signed arbitration clauses.”

 

When reached for comment, Riot wouldn’t discuss the litigation proceedings, but said it was looking forward to “resolving all matters through the appropriate processes.”

It went on to state it has made great strides in improving its culture and community, and evaluating procedures and policies “including those related to arbitration.”

In August 2018, Riot pledged to tackle what was deemed a culture of sexism and misogyny, and promised big changes that would “leave no room for sexism or misogyny.”

A few months later, company COO Scott Gelb was put on two months unpaid leave, during which time he underwent “training.”

Gelb was accused of frequently engaging in inappropriate behavior which included slapping or flicking testicles, farting on employees and dry-humping them.

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from VG247 http://bit.ly/2XUarrp