Other IGN Staff Walk Out Due To Sexual Harassment Claims

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Seems like sexual harassment claims and assaults are popping up left and right these days and they are finally appearing in the gaming community starting with IGN:

Prominent staff at the gaming site IGN say they’ve walked out today in the wake of allegations late last week that a former editor sexually harassed two women at the company.

“There won’t be a Daily Fix today because a large group of IGN employees have refused to work until the company issues a statement/apology regarding what happened to Kallie Plagge,” IGN’s Alanah Pearce wrote on Twitter this afternoon, referring to a former co-worker who on Friday had accused the company’s HR department of mistreating her. The Daily Fix is IGN’s regular news show.

On Friday night, Plagge said on Twitter that while working in promotions at IGN last year, she and another female employee were sexually harassed by former editor Vince Ingenito. In her tweet, and in an interview with Kotaku on Saturday, Plagge said that she saw Ingenito as a mentor but grew gradually uncomfortable when he made sexual remarks and “manipulative and abusive comments” toward her and one of her co-workers, whose name she did not want used without that woman’s permission. One example Plagge brought up on Twitter: “‘When I was your age I could go all night.’ He put his hand on my arm. ‘I just want one more night like that.’”

Shortly afterward, Ingenito wrote a lengthy response on Twitter, saying that he “overestimated or perhaps misread the degree of our friendship” and “didn’t graphically describe anything or force sexual conversations on her or anyone.”

Despite widespread discussion of this incident on social media since Friday evening, IGN has not publicly commented. The company did not respond to a Kotaku request for comment over the weekend and has not yet put out any statement.

What bothered Plagge the most, she said during a phone call, was what happened after she and her co-worker reported the incident to IGN’s human resources department in July 2016. Plagge said that she and the other woman were told to sit and work in a glass conference room—“a fishbowl”—while IGN decided what to do. Then, Plagge said, she was forced to sign a document saying that she had conducted herself inappropriately, without being told what she had done.

The document, which Plagge shared with Kotaku, stated: “With regards to the investigation of harassment, evidence was presented to show a lack of professionalism in your part as well as others. Communication between you and Vince were both inappropriate, unprofessional, and violated our harassment policy.”

“That is the worst thing about this, is not the harassment, it’s what happened after,” Plagge said. “I deeply deeply regret [contacting HR]. It was just an absolutely traumatic experience for me.”

Plagge said she felt anxious and uncomfortable at work in the following months, until she decided in December 2016 to leave for a new job at GameSpot. “It got to the point where I couldn’t work for multiple hours a day because I was having panic attacks, so I decided to quit,” she said.

In March 2017, Ingenito said that he was laid off from IGN.

Two IGN employees told me today that the editorial staff met this morning. During that meeting, employees fumed at management about both their treatment of Plagge and silence over this incident. “We had a large staff meeting this morning and ultimately said we weren’t going to work until the company issues a statement,” said one IGN employee. “They said they will, and didn’t think our protest was unreasonable.”

IGN social editor Cassidee Moser also chimed in on Twitter. “Today has been a very somber and humbling day at IGN,” she wrote. “Everyone is outraged and demanding changes be made to protect people going forward. I find the way her case was handled to be reprehensible. But after speaking to many in management and editorial today, I am encouraged.”

UPDATE (6:14pm): This afternoon, IGN put out a statement from its editorial staff, noting up front that it was written by the website’s content team and “not by management or legal or anyone else.”

The full statement:

To the gaming and entertainment community:

It is with great sadness, pain, and regret that we tell you that IGN has failed two of its female employees, one former and one current – both of whom the team cares deeply about. We are devastated that two of our own have had to live with and carry this pain for more than a year.

When the women made management and human resources aware of the situation involving a now-former employee, those women, in the estimation of the IGN team, did not get the respect and care that they deserved as IGN employees and as people. That system, plainly put, failed them. It especially failed them but it also failed all of us.

All of us have been wounded deeply by this – though again, our suffering is nothing compared to those of our two beloved friends – and this morning we addressed the open wound directly with our management team and human resources representative in an emotional, difficult, but ultimately productive two-hour meeting, where any and all voices were heard.

We care deeply about what we do, and we hope our passion for video games and entertainment shines through in our articles, videos, and podcasts every day. But we care even more deeply about each other, and we will continue to fight to make this right for the past, present, and certainly the future. Any future allegations will be taken extremely seriously, and we are actively working to ensure that everyone on our team feels like they work in a safe environment; we will not tolerate the exclusion or mistreatment of any people. The human resources representative who oversaw this situation originally is no longer with the company, and our current HR rep has been transparent and willing to listen to ideas and suggestions for how to create a better work environment going forward.

We are aware of the influence that IGN has in the gaming and entertainment community, and we will utilize that to the best of our abilities going forward. And we will continue to challenge our management and human resources teams to fix what is broken, because if we can’t or if we don’t, then IGN will no longer be a place we’re proud to call home – as content creators, entertainment consumers, and as gamers.

Sincerely,

The IGN Team
 
That HR department is deplorable. I want to cry reading that.

The letter is such a cop out and barely shows them feeling responsible. It's them trying to act like victims because "they are in pain, OH, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS THE WOMEN."
 
Buddy say one nasty drunkin compliment and it's going on for 2yrs.
 
It is disappointing that it took so long for IGN to deal with the problem, and their employees need to strike for IGN to deal with IGN sexual harrassment problems.
 
IGN is a USA based company right? All the lady had to do was go over HR's head and file a complaint with her city/state government agency and they would have been all over IGN's asses about this.
It's a major USA based company, that's what we all know.
Because of that, it could be possible that they're protected by the law, and therefore unstoppable unless loads of women come out about this.
Think Hollywood; it took the American 'justice' system multiple decades to act, despite them knowing very well about this all along.
 
Jeez, what the hell is with this HR department?

Plagge said that she and the other woman were told to sit and work in a glass conference room—“a fishbowl”—while IGN decided what to do. Then, Plagge said, she was forced to sign a document saying that she had conducted herself inappropriately, without being told what she had done.

I have no idea what to say about that.
 
IGN is a USA based company right? All the lady had to do was go over HR's head and file a complaint with her city/state government agency and they would have been all over IGN's asses about this.

I agree she could of come out sooner and told her local government, and may of not let this situation got out of hand where she had to feel uncomfortable at work which made her have panic attacks, and change jobs. Plus, it may improve her court case if she decides to sue IGN since less evidence like security camera footage, and call records like voice calls and text may of been deleted or destroyed. There would also be more witnesses who may still be working for IGN or remember what happen to her if she came out earlier.
 
It's a major USA based company, that's what we all know.
Because of that, it could be possible that they're protected by the law, and therefore unstoppable unless loads of women come out about this.
Think Hollywood; it took the American 'justice' system multiple decades to act, despite them knowing very well about this all along.

if you got the money or backing, anyone can drag anyone out in a court of law.
 
if you got the money or backing, anyone can drag anyone out in a court of law.

There are also court shows like Judge Judy which may help her out for free with finding an answer to her problem, so money is not always needed.
 
There are also court shows like Judge Judy which may help her out for free with finding an answer to her problem, so money is not always needed.

yeah no, Judy is more of a pop star these days. She judges more on her mood than the actual law. If you want good help, go to the People's Court show.
 
yeah no, Judy is more of a pop star these days. She judges more on her mood than the actual law. If you want good help, go to the People's Court show.

If you want help the People's Court is a better choice.

But, I think Judge Judy maybe more popular worldwide, and get more views online on sites like YouTube and on Television.

If the IGN female employee mainly want to warn the public of IGN and some male staff mistreating female friendly employees, Judge Judy can be the better choice. Judge Judy maybe more popular with YouTube, Reddit, Tumblr, and other big social networking members, and meme makers which use these sites, and there would be a good chance that social network members will upload a ton of videos, pictures, and meme about this sexual harrassment case to warn more people of IGN's dark past of sexual harrassment.
 
I think sexual claims against a large corporation is bigger than a small claims court like Judy though.

I agree small claims court can be too small against a large corporation. But, going to a bigger court like a state or nationsl court may cost a lot of money for the victim who needs to hire a team of lawyers, and private investigators to gather evidence like video and voice recordings, and cell phone records. There is a chance the victim don't receive enough money to pay off the legal fees and other expenses if they win, or no money if they lose.

Are you people actually suggesting these women should have dealt with this by going on a reality tv show?

I think going on a Court TV show is not the best way to deal with their harrassment case if you have money or the governmemt can pay for your lawyer.

But, a court show is better than not dealing with their case at all, or coming out many years later where the sexual abuser maybe dead or physically ill, or IGN gets sold to new owners, or shutdown where there is no one to sue.

Sometimes people don't go to court if they can't afford the legal cost, and afford to not work, and take many months to years off from work to go to court.

A lot of online workers for alternative news websites don't make a lot of money, so there is a chance they cant afford to hire a lawyer, or take many years off work to go to court.
 
nope, but we still have Jerry Springer on the airwaves :squint:

Steve Wilkos Show is also still on the air. Steve Wilkos was Jerry Springer Security Guard, and substitute host on Jerry Springer on the show until he left to create his own show.

Steve is also a former US Marine Soldier, and Police Officer with the Chicago Police Department according to Steve Wilkos - Wikipedia .

 
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