Independent Review Clears Riot Games CEO Of Misconduct
An independent review launched by League of Legends maker Riot Games has found no evidence support allegations of sexual misconduct by chief executive Nicolo Laurent.
A report prepared by an outside law firm came to the conclusion after "an impartial and comprehensive investigation," the company said in a statement this week.
The review was launched last month following a January lawsuit accusing Laurent of retaliating against his assistant, Sharon O'Donnell, after she refused what she took as an invitation for a sexual liaison.
"We concluded that there was no evidence that Laurent harassed, discriminated or retaliated against the plaintiff," said a statement from an independent board committee handling the review.
"We have therefore reached the conclusion that, at the current time, no action should be taken against Laurent."
The company said Laurent, who is French, would continue in his role as CEO.
Laurent said in a separate statement that "the allegations of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation involving me are not true. Nothing of that nature, or even remotely close to it, ever happened."
The case comes amid growing concerns about troubled workplace conditions in the tech and gaming industries, including numerous instances of sexual harassment and discrimination.
Riot Games said it remained committed to improving its workplace conditions.
"While our conclusion in this particular case is that no discrimination, harassment, or retaliation occurred, let us be clear that as a committee, we remain fully invested in overseeing the company's initiatives to transform Riot's culture," the special committee said.
"Management has committed itself to responding to these reports seriously and fairly, and we will continue to oversee its work in this regard."
© Copyright AFP 2024. All rights reserved.