Riot Games is investigating its CEO following a gender discrimination lawsuit

Yikes.

League of Legends and Valorant developer Riot Games are investigating claims of gender discrimination and sexual harassment by CEO Nicolo Laurent, following a civil lawsuit filed by a former employee of the company.

The lawsuit was filed in early January by a former executive assistant named Sharon O’Donnell, who is suing the developer for lost wages, medical expenses and general damages related to her employment.

She worked at the company for three years until her alleged, “wrongful termination,” in July 2020. Throughout her employment, O’Donnell states that she was yelled at by Laurent and told to, “watch her tone.”

She also claims that female employees were told to manage stress during the pandemic by, “having kids.”

O’Donnell also claimed that Laurent made sexual advances towards her. At one point, he allegedly asked her to travel with him outside of work, and yelled at her and took her work duties away when she declined his offer. Her stated belief is that her termination is directly related to refusing Laurent’s advances.

Riot’s Board of Directors are examining Laurent via an outside law firm, but the company has disputed O’Donnell’s allegations of wrongful termination.

In a statement provided to Daily Esports, Riot spokesperson Joe Hixson said:

"Core to giving Rioters confidence in our commitment to culture transformation is taking all allegations of harassment or discrimination very seriously, thoroughly investigating claims and taking action against anyone who is found to have violated our policies. In this case, because some of the claims relate to an executive leader, a special committee of our Board of Directors is overseeing the investigation, which is being conducted by an outside law firm. Our CEO has pledged his full cooperation and support during this process, and we’re committed to ensuring that all claims are thoroughly explored and appropriately resolved."

Riot Games are no stranger to this level of controversy. A 2018 report from Kotaku raised public attention towards the company’s ‘bro-culture’ work environment, and its awful treatment of women. In May 2019, 150 Riot employees staged a walkout to protest the company’s stance on forced arbitration and its sexist work culture.

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.