Activision Takes California Civil Rights Department to Court

Activision Blizzard has initiated legal action against the California Civil Rights Department, citing the agency's handling of a misconduct lawsuit against the company. According to a report by Axios, the lawsuit claims that the department, formerly known as the Department for Fair Employment and Housing, has withheld information related to its interactions with the media and labor unions regarding the case. Activision Blizzard alleges that the agency has waged a "media campaign" against it and failed to comply with a public records request for communications between the department, journalists, and the Communications Workers of America union. The union represents quality assurance workers at Raven Software and Blizzard Albany, both of which successfully formed unions this year. The lawsuit also contends that the department's complaint, which alleged misconduct within the company, was filed without first attempting to mediate the dispute, rendering it unlawful. This development comes after Activision Blizzard requested that the California court dismiss the harassment and discrimination lawsuit filed against it, stating that the agency had breached its own regulations, acted in bad faith, and compromised its authority to file the lawsuit.