The parents of the late 32-year-old employee say she endured sustained sexual harassment before taking her own life.
The parents of an Activision-Blizzard employee who committed suicide in 2017 has filed a lawsuit against the company.
The complaint was filed by Janet and Paul Moynihan. According to Polygon, their 32-year-old daughter, Kerri, committed suicide on a company trip in Florida; her coworkers discovered her body in a hotel room at Disneyland’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa in April of 2017.
In their lawsuit, the Moynihan family claims that sustained sexual harassment was a “significant factor” in Kerri Moynihan’s death.
Moynihan’s death, notes The Washington Post, was first referenced by a California Department of Fair Employment and Housing lawsuit filed last July, which accused Activision-Blizzard of fostering a culture of sexual harassment, misconduct, and gender-based discrimination.
Now, the family says that Activision-Blizzard tried to cover up certain details of Kerri Moynihan’s death.
In their wrongful death lawsuit, the family alleges that Moynihan’s manager, Greg Restituito, initially lied to law enforcement, concealing the fact that he had a sexual relationship with her.
The Moynihan family says that, even after investigators left, Restituito took further steps hide evidence of his relationship with Moynihan.
Meanwhile, he made “seemingly unusual inquiries with other employees who were present with [Kerri] the night preceding her death.”
Janet and Paul Moynihan said that Activision-Blizzard was uncooperative throughout the investigation. The company allegedly refused to give Moynihan’s company-issued laptop to police, and “wiped” her cell phone.
When law enforcement began looking into the relationship between Moynihan and Restituito, Activision-Blizzard erased information from his devices, too.
While the lawsuit does not elaborate on the nature of the relationship between Moynihan and Restituito, it seems to imply that Restituito was either taking advantage of Moynihan or sexually harassing her.
The complaint notes that, shortly before Moynihan’s death, Restituito texted her saying, “Please don’t do that. Not tonight. Think about it and make your decision when your mind is clear.”
Medical examiners believe that Moynihan took her life within 30 minutes of receiving Restituito’s message.
“The harassment to which Kerri was subjected was a substantial factor in causing harm to Kerri […] tragically culminating in Kerri’s death at the age of 32,” the lawsuit says.
However, the lawsuit appears not to provide substantial evidence of any adverse or predatory relationship between Moynihan and Restitutio.
The filing also criticizes the Anaheim Police Department for performing a “perfunctory and incomplete investigation.” Detectives allegedly failed to dust for fingerprints, or asking Restituito any questions about the text message he sent before her death.
“We stand by our investigation,” an Anaheim Police spokesperson told the Washington Post.
Activision-Blizzard, meanwhile, has said that it is “deeply saddened” by Moynihan’s death, saying that she was a “valued member of the company.”
“We will address the complaint through the legal process as appropriate, and out of respect for the family we have no further comment at this time,” Activision-Blizzard added.
Sources
Activision Blizzard faces wrongful death lawsuit over employee suicide
Activision Blizzard sued for wrongful death by family of employee who killed herself
Activision Blizzard sued in wrongful death case alleging sexual harassment led to suicide
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