Saturday, December 2, 2023
THE ESPORTS ADVOCATE
  • Money
  • People
  • Brands
  • Entertainment
No Result
View All Result
SUBSCRIBE
THE ESPORTS ADVOCATE
No Result
View All Result

America First Legal Files Complaint Against Activision Blizzard With EEOC

Conservative watchdog group founded by former Trump-era senior advisor Stephen Miller also sends the company a ‘cease-and-desist’ letter related to its hiring practices.

James FudgebyJames Fudge
August 16, 2023
in Legal, Politics
America First Legal files complaint with EEOC against Activision Blizzard

Pictured: Stephen Miller, founder of America First Legal. Credit: America First Legal, Background from Activision Blizzard DEI report.

Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare on RedditShare on Weibo

Conservative watchdog group America First Legal (AFL) announced this week that its Center for Legal Equality has filed a formal civil rights complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and sent a cease-and-desist letter to Call of Duty and Overwatch 2 publisher Activision Blizzard “demanding” that the company stop using “gender and racial preferences in hiring and internship programs” and to focus instead on creating “shareholder value, not promote fringe political ideology.”

You might also like

Russian Lawmakers Propose Cutting Out Esports IP Holders

Galaxy Racer NA Employees are Owed Two Months of Back Pay

International Olympic Committee Seeks to Create Olympic Esports Games

The 501(C)3 charity-designated organization founded by former Trump Administration-era Senior Advisor Stephen Miller and former Trump Administration-era Counselor to the Attorney General (2017-2021) Gene Hamilton, aims to “oppose the radical left’s anti-jobs, anti-freedom, anti-faith, anti-borders, anti-police, and anti-American crusade,” according to its mission statement. 

The group has filed similar anti-woke (as it calls them) lawsuits against corporations in America such as Target and Kellogg’s. The group has also conducted investigations (it’s not clear what that process entails) and filed legal briefs related to several hot button issues in American politics including vaccinations, topics related to President Joe Biden, former President Trump’s multitude of indictments, and trans issues and anti-trans laws, among others. 

In a release, AFL claims that “…Activision’s executives have jeopardized its reputation by mandating woke DEI principles into every aspect of their company, from hiring to game design.” 

The group cites the recent controversy surrounding the removal of Nick “NICKMERCS” Kolcheff’s operator bundle from Call of Duty games following the popular content creator’s controversial remarks on Twitter about how school districts, school administrators, and teachers should “leave little children alone” when it comes to teaching them about LGBTIQA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual) topics or issues related to gender and sexuality.

In addition, the AFL takes umbrage with Activision Blizzard’s hiring practices that have focused in recent years on implementing and improving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into its workforce. In its EEOC filing, AFL asks for an investigation, noting that these policies are being used to discriminate against certain people during the hiring process:

“Activision uses hiring, training, and promotion policies that discriminate because of race, color, religion, and sex, and has promised to continue doing so in the future to ‘balance’ its workforce’s immutable characteristics,” the AFL asserts in its letter, adding later, “Activision has mandated that internal and external talent recruitment teams create ‘diverse slates’ of job candidates, thereby limiting, segregating, or classifying applicants for employment in a way that deprives or tends to deprive or limit the employment opportunities of white, Asian, and Jewish males with the company.”

Given the ongoing, high-profile attempt by Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard for $69B USD, and the political climate as the country moves into an election year, many politically partisan organizations are finding ways to tap into the zeitgeist of conservative reaction to DEI and LGBTIQA+ issues in America currently, and/or as a play to generate buzz and possibly fundraise. You can read the cease-and-desist letter to Activision here, and its formal complaint with the EEOC here.

Tags: Activision BlizzardAmerica First LegalCall of DutyConservativesDEIDonald TrumpEEOCEqual Employment Opportunity CommissionGene HamiltonLegalMicrosoftNickemercsOverwatch 2PoliticsRepublicansStephen MillerWatchdog Groups
James Fudge

James Fudge

James has been covering the video games industry for nearly 23 years. He currently publishes two esports business newsletters: People on the Move and The Fudge Retort.

Recommended For You

Russian Lawmakers Propose Cutting Out Esports IP Holders

November 30, 2023
Russia Future Games

Lawmakers in Russia have put forth a proposal that aims to cut out major IP holders out of the picture when operating esports competitions within the country. The...

Read more

Galaxy Racer NA Employees are Owed Two Months of Back Pay

November 7, 2023
Galaxy Racer NA Employees are Owed Two Months of Back Pay

Employees at Los Angeles-based Galaxy Racer North America/Her Galaxy have not been paid for at least two months, according to sources who spoke to The Esports Advocate this...

Read more

International Olympic Committee Seeks to Create Olympic Esports Games

October 16, 2023
International Olympic Committee Proposes Olympic Esports Games

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach announced plans to create an "Olympic Esports Games," during the opening speech of the 141st IOC session in Mumbai, India.  “I...

Read more

11 Questions for HRH Crown Prince MBS and HRH Prince Faisal About Esports and Gaming

October 12, 2023
11 questions for HRH Crown Prince MBS and HRH Prince Faisal on esports and gaming

If The Esports Advocate was given unfettered access to Savvy Games Group Chairman and HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and IESF President and Saudi Esports...

Read more

Competition and Markets Authority Gives Provisional Approval of Microsoft-Activision Blizzard Deal

September 22, 2023
CMA approves Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard

UK government regulator the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced Friday that it has given provisional approval to Microsoft's proposed $69B USD acquisition of Call of Duty maker...

Read more
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Statement
  • Subscribe to our Newsletter
  • Our Mission Statement
  • Contact Us

© 2023 The Esports Advocate. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Statement
  • Subscribe to our Newsletter
  • Our Mission Statement
  • Contact Us

© 2023 The Esports Advocate. All rights reserved.