Six US state treasurers are pressuring Activision Blizzard to respond to its sexual harassment scandal
California, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada and Oregon treasurers demand a meeting with Activision Blizzard.
State treasurers from six US states – California, Massachusetts, Illinois, Oregon, Delaware, and Nevada – have called on Activision Blizzard to make more meaningful changes to the way the company is run in the wake of the high-profile investigations and lawsuits that have shook the games industry over the past six months.
According to Axios, the treasurers from the six states have asked to meet with the board members at Activision Blizzard by December 20, and have threatened action against the company if it does not meet their demands.
The elected officials from the collection of states made the request in a joint letter sent to the publisher in November, where they also threatened to consider voting against the re-election of Activision Blizzard board members if a meeting is not scheduled and changes to the company are not made.
"We're concerned that the current CEO and board directors don't have the skillset, nor the conviction into these sweeping changes needed to transform their culture, to restore trust with employees and shareholders and their partners," Illinois treasurer Michael Frerichs explained.
The states themselves have made investments in the company, hence the pressure from the treasurers. The letter and its publication are intended to provoke more public scrutiny.
"One thing the Treasurers bring is also a bit of a spotlight here and a little public pressure as well," Frerichs continued. "So it’s not all just about the number of dollars and number of shares that we have."
The treasurers are apparently baffled that the board members have stood by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick during the scandal, and want "a true investigation" from "an outside investigator" into the culture at the company.
Kotick recently discussed stepping down as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and the company has promised to make some changes to its workplace policies in light of the ongoing investigations. Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox bosses have all outlined their disappointment and concern at Activision Blizzard.