Rocksteady has posted a tweet with an unsolicited letter it received from female employees at the company regarding The Guardian’s recent report on allegations of abuse and harassment in the studio.
The tweet features an unsolicited letter from seven of Rocksteady’s female employees who signed the 2018 initial letter calling for inappropriate behavior in the workplace.
According to the new letter, eight of the ten employees who first brought up issues of delicacy are still at the company. It goes on to state Rocksteady addresses the issues immediately, and not two years later as the Guardian report claimed.
Here is the letter in full:
The original story follows.
Original story
Batman developer Rocksteady Studios has been accused by several employees of ignoring harassment in the workplace.
According to a report by The Guardian, female employees at Rocksteady signed a letter two years ago and sent it to the bosses, accusing the studio of failing to prevent adverse behavior and sexual harassment.
The letter was issued in 2018, and 10 of the 16 female employees signed it. The letter noted various “sloppiness regarding the transgendered community”, conversations about women in a “disadvantage or sexual manner”, and sexual harassment. The latter occurred in the form of progress, ‘learning’, and ‘unfavorable remarks. ‘
One of the women speaking to The Guardian came forward because of Rocksteady’s lack of response. She stated that it was through her that employees felt she was still suffering from sexism, harassment, and unfavorable behavior.
“I’ve heard everything from claims to claims to incidents involving directors, who are all men,” she said. ‘Yet the only thing that resulted was a company-wide seminar that lasted an hour. Everyone who attended was asked to sign a statement confirming that they had received the training. It felt like it was a fair way to cover her asses.
“Rocksteady does not have the best reputation for representing women,” she said, using the image of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy from her Batman games. “Sometimes you could see the surprise on her face when you said that’s not how women dress.”
When contacted by The Guardian, Rocksteady issued the following statement:
“From day one at Rocksteady Studios, we set out to create a place where people are sought after, a place that is built on respect and inclusion.
“In 2018, we received a letter from some of our female employees expressing their concerns that they had at the time, and we immediately took firm action to address the issues. Over the next two years, we listened carefully to and learned from our staff, and worked to ensure that each person on the team felt supported. By 2020, we are more passionate than ever about continuing to develop our inclusive culture, and we aim to stand up for all our staff. ”
Bosses in the studio have since held a meeting where the letter, sent back in 2018, was first discussed.
Rocksteady is set to release its latest game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, this weekend during the DC FanDome. During the event, WB Games Montreal will also unveil its new title, which is said to be a new Batam game.
