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Rocksteady posted a tweet containing an unsolicited letter he received from company employees regarding the Guardian’s recent report on accusations of abuse and harassment at the studio.
The features of the tweet an unsolicited letter from seven of the female Rocksteady staff who signed the initial 2018 letter denouncing inappropriate conduct in the workplace.
According to the new letter, eight of the ten employees who initially brought harassment issues to light are still with the company. He goes on to state that Rocksteady fixed the issues immediately, and not two years later as reported by The Guardian.
Here is the letter in full:
The original story follows.
Original story
Batman developer Rocksteady Studios has been accused by several employees of ignoring workplace harassment.
According to a report by The Guardian, employees at Rocksteady signed a letter two years ago and sent it to bosses, accusing the studio of failing to prevent inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment.
The letter was published in 2018 and 10 of the 16 employees signed it. The letter referred to various “slurs against the transgender community”, discussions of women in “derogatory or sexual ways” and sexual harassment. The latter came in the form of advances, “lamentations” and “inappropriate comments”.
One of the women, who spoke with The Guardian, came forward due to Rocksteady’s lack of response. She said she felt employees continued to suffer from sexism, harassment and inappropriate conduct.
“I’ve heard everything from trial and error to incidents involving managers, who are all men,” she said. “Yet the only thing we got, as a result, was a company-wide seminar that lasted an hour. All participants were asked to sign a declaration confirming that they had received the training. It was a fair way for them to cover their buttocks.
“Rocksteady doesn’t have the best reputation for portraying women,” she said, using the portrayal of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy from her Batman games. “Sometimes you could see the surprise on their faces when you said that wasn’t how women dressed.”
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 taken care of, one that is fundamentally based on respect and inclusion.
“In 2018, we received a letter from some of our employees expressing their concerns at the time, and we immediately took firm action to address the issues raised. Over the next two years, we listened intently and learned from our employees, making sure everyone on the team felt supported. In 2020, we are more passionate than ever to continue to develop our inclusive culture and we are determined to defend all of our staff.
Studio bosses have since held a meeting where the letter, again sent in 2018, was first discussed.
Rocksteady is set to reveal its latest game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, this weekend during DC FanDome. During the event, WB Games Montreal will also unveil its new title, which would be a new Batam game.