Former Co-Owner Of Obsidian Entertainment Says Company Should Be Sued For "Hiring Discrimination"
Chris Avellone, the former Creative Director and co-founder of Obsidian Entertainment suggested that the company should be sued for “hiring discrimination” after Art Director Matt Hansen revealed he wanted to remove “crusty old white dudes” from the video game industry.
Hansen previously posted on X, “Reminder to Black artists out there who are looking for portfolio reviews or job advice: my DMs are open, and you will always have my priority.”
He added, “We got too many crusty white dudes in this field, please let me help you replace me one day - I want to go back to living in the woods.”
He also posted in March to BlueSky that Elon Musk saying that “it should not be acceptable for any company in the gaming industry to be racist & sexist against ‘white guys’ it would “only embolden me.”
Specifically, he wrote, “Oh, Elon, you sweet summer child, this will only embolden me, you sad sack of s**t.”
Avellone, who was the co-owner of Obsidian from June 2003 to May 2015, appeared to react to these posts from Hansen.
He wrote on X, “Based on recent news, if you were rejected from an art position at Obsidian in the past few years, call a lawyer – discrimination in hiring, esp for a Microsoft studio, can ensure you don’t need to apply for a job ever again.”
“And it shouldn’t cost you a cent to initiate legal action – the lawyers will know what the case is worth, and they'll do the heavy lifting,” he continued.
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He added, “This has nothing to do with my personal politics, but I believe strongly that hiring discrimination for any reason isn't something the industry should tolerate. I hope you agree.”
He was also questioned, “Does being rejected automatically make it discrimination?”
He replied, “No, but based on recent events, there's a case to be made even if the rejection may have been valid - that validity needs to be examined by the courts because of the recent annoucements, and Obsidian would need to show proof of the validity of the rejection.”
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In another post, he clarified that he no longer works at Obsidian, “Just as a reminder based on events today, I don’t work at Obsidian, I don’t work on Avowed, and no idea what's going on.”
Of note, Avellone revealed that he was inspired to encourage a lawsuit and call out Obsidian and Hansen’s behavior because he “had an experience with a BioWare producer who showcased the full extent of their hiring practices, and it's a story for another day - but definitely was cause for a lawsuit.”
While Avellone recommended Obsidian be sued, Elon Musk also noted that Hansen was “confessing to illegal behavior.” He added, “Won’t end well for him.”
Hiring practices such as the one Hansen is advocating for are being challenged in the court system. America First Legal filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in February and requested a commissioner “‘charge for an inquiry into individual or systemic discrimination,’ related to the illegal employment practices of The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2.”
In the complaint, America First Legal noted that The Walt Disney Company’s “‘Reimagine Tomorrow’ website showcases a program of unlawful quotas, rebranded, in Orwellian disinformation fashion, as ‘diversity and inclusion policies’ to amplify ''underrepresented voices and untold stories as well as championing the importance of accurate representation in media and entertainment.’”
READ: Xbox And Obsidian's 'Avowed' Promoted With Disordered LGBTQ+ Tag On Steam
Musk and his team at X are also bankrolling Gina Carano’s lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company, which is “a civil action arising from Defendants wrongful termination of Carano’s employment in retaliation for Carano’s lawful exercise of her right to speak and express her views. Specifically, Defendants—under the regime of former Disney CEO Bob Chapek—fired Carano because of her posts (‘the Posts’) on various social media platforms including X (formerly known as Twitter). Carano composed and published the Posts while she was off-duty and away from the workplace.”
The suit also alleges, “Defendants terminated Carano’s employment and took other retaliatory actions to limit and deny her future employment opportunities, including but not limited to making maliciously false statements about Carano with the intention of damaging her reputation and, thus, her ability to find and retain work.”
It also states, “Defendants treated Carano differently than her similarly situation male co-workers, who likewise expressed their personal political views on social media but, upon information and belief, were not counseled or disciplined, let alone terminated.”
The lawsuit is specifically accusing The Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm of “wrongful discharge,” “wrongful discharge and refusal to hire,” and “sex discrimination.”
What do you make of Avellone’s recommendation that the company he formerly co-owned should be sued for what looks to be illegal hiring practices? Become a paid member to leave a comment and let us know.
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