Emma Majo, an ex-IT security analyst, filed a class action lawsuit against PlayStation for gender discrimination last November. The suit claims that women at the company were unfairly treated. They are denied promotions and are paid less money than their male counterparts in similar jobs. Eight additional women have joined this lawsuit.
As reported by AxiosEight women, including one current PlayStation employee, came forward and had their testimonies added into the lawsuit. Sony requested that the California court drop the lawsuit last month due to lack of specific facts. However, these new statements could be enough to keep it going.
Marie Harrington, who has worked for 16 years with Sony Online Entertainment and Sony PlayStation, said that it was more difficult for women to progress in the company. She stated that only four women were promoted in a “calibration session” while 70 men were. She said that comments were made about women’s families, but not the men’s.
Harrington wrote to Sony’s higher-ups in 2018 about bullying by men and a New York Times article highlighting women who spoke out against the toxic culture at Nike. She asked if they could address their own problems before the article was published.
Kara Johnson, a former manager of program management, wrote that Sony was not equipped to handle toxic environments. She said that ten women had left her work place in the four previous months, and claimed this was a sign of the systemic problems at Rancho Bernardo.
Majo had previously denied Sony’s claims, but she has not responded to the new allegations against her company. Majo did not mention specific instances of sexism. She even named several staff members. Sony however claims that she “fails (to identify) a single policy or practice at SIE that allegedly formed or contributed to any widespread intentional discrimination or had an adverse effect on women.”
Sony claims that these accusations are examples of “run of the mill personnel activity,” which doesn’t paint a positive picture of the company’s work culture.
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