Gavin Newsom allegedly interfered in discrimination case against Activision Blizzard
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has been accused of meddling in the discrimination case against video game giant Activision Blizzard.
Melanie Proctor, a lawyer with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, leveled the claim as she resigned in protest of Newsom allegedly firing her boss, Bloomberg reports.
According to the report, Proctor in an email to staff alleged Newsom's office "began to interfere" with the agency's lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, demanding "advance notice of litigation strategy and of next steps in the litigation." She also alleges that her boss, Chief Counsel Janette Wipper, was "abruptly terminated" for trying to "protect" the agency's independence. "As we continued to win in state court, this interference increased, mimicking the interests of Activision's counsel," Proctor, who served as assistant chief counsel, claimed.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Department of Fair Employment and Housing sued Activision Blizzard, publisher of games like World of Warcraft, last year, alleging the company created a "breeding ground for harassment and discrimination." The lawsuit said that "female employees almost universally confirmed that working for Defendants was akin to working in a frat house, which invariably involved male employees drinking and subjecting female employees to sexual harassment with no repercussion."
In January, Microsoft announced it would buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, with CEO Bobby Kotick, who was accused of knowing about sexual misconduct allegations at the company for years, remaining in his role. The lawsuit against Activision Blizzard remains ongoing. The company recently settled a separate sexual harassment lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for $18 million.
A spokesperson for Proctor told Bloomberg she is "evaluating all avenues of legal recourse including a claim under the California Whistleblower Protection Act."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Political cartoons for October 28Cartoons Tuesday's political cartoons include a bailout for Argentina, a frog prince, and Epstein distractions
-
The best adventure holidays for adrenaline junkiesThe Week Recommends Five destinations perfect for outdoor thrill-seekers
-
Crossword: October 28, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Will California’s Proposition 50 kill gerrymandering reform?Talking Points Or is opposing Trump the greater priority for voters?
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
