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[Mael]

That's not how it's understood. I understood it perfectly well to be him telling an anecdote about how people can lash out.

In a thread about sexual harassment in the workplace...

Which is precisely what can happen and it's why allegations of any sort need to be taken very, very seriously on a company-wide level. At the end of the day it's always going to be a he-said-she-said scenario unless there's direct proof. It's very easy to say, "Yeah, people lash out," but it's also easy to say, "Sexual harassment absolutely happens and can be dangerous to report."

Allegations usually never lead to anything and most of the time the person reporting it ends up with no job.
It's basically like saying we should always take extra care when talking about sexual assault because there's so many false accusations thrown out there.

 

[Yearsoflurking]

I feel like the cc part is to destroy the guys credibility, this is why people don't come out

 

[KageMaru]

Yeah, I find it kind of gross that employees are lining up to anonymously tear the guys character down.

Like I have no idea if the guys allegations are true, or honestly exactly what they are, but frankly, it just seems sort of cowardly. IMO, it’s questionable whether those he said, she said elements should have even been reported.

The one thing that makes me think he’s not making it up, is that it just doesn’t 100% add up. Like I sort of get why somebody would make up an allegation about a specific person, jilted lover, etc. but not why someone would make an allegation about a non-specific person at a company they used to work for.

I didn't read it as them tearing down the guy's character at all. They are merely saying if it happened, the rest of the studio was unaware. One employee even said he believes the allegations.

Basically if this is true, this predator doesn't represent the studio.

 

[Sylas]

In a thread about sexual harassment in the workplace...

Dunno what you want! It's an anecdote about how people can make shit up about why they got let go. Which people do. It's going to be a rumor-mill sort of thing unless proof shows up--and the only proof that could exist is something in a written form (or a recording, I guess). I seriously don't know what you want here.

 

[Mael]

Dunno what you want! It's an anecdote about how people can make shit up about why they got let go. Which people do. It's going to be a rumor-mill sort of thing unless proof shows up--and the only proof that could exist is something in a written form (or a recording, I guess). I seriously don't know what you want here.

So basically, people make shit up, don't trust people coming out when they complain they've been fired for something.
Explains why no one comes out I guess.

 

[Jigorath]

I feel like the cc part is to destroy the guys credibility, this is why people don't come out

I see no reason why Jason Schreier would try to destroy Ballard's credibility. He reported what he learned from his contacts at ND.

 

[Yjynx]

You're talking about harassment culture in a company.
That doesn't preclude harassment happening at all in a company without a pervasively hostile environment.
If the harasser is not an idiot, it's not hard for the predator to assault someone and try to pass it off as something else.
It's all cool and great to assume that because you work in a big company it means that HR is on the ball but they're not everywhere and a predator knowingly targetting victims while trying to be conspicuous could fly under the radar.
It's far from unheard of.
And on top of that it doesn't change the fact that it's nearly as efficient to call HR as it is to put in your resignation!

Sorry from my experience I found that quite difficult to achieve at least especially for repeated offense. Usually everyone know everything that's going on... sometimes almost literally everything...... For your scenario to happen The company itself must harness this kind of culture where sexual harassment is common. He/She still could harass him privately but that also means that he could have some proof on him/her.

Believe it or not some Company even willing to fire someone just from a single complaint about sexual harassment bear in mind that the victim are not the one that got fired. NO ONE wants to work in toxic environment. Almost all HR that I met were always sided with the victim since if something happen (like this situation for example) he would shoulder all the blame.

 

[Yearsoflurking]

I see no reason why Jason Schreier would try to destroy Ballard's credibility. He reported what he learned from his contacts at ND.

Never said that was Jason's intention

 

[TheFatMan]

So basically, people make shit up, don't trust people coming out when they complain they've been fired for something.
Explains why no one comes out I guess.

I mean you have a point, and I have a point. I doubt either of us are smart enough to figure out a solution to this that will fix the problem....probably why it's still a problem.

It's not fair to assume victims of sexual harassment are lying.

It's not fair to assume victims of sexual harassment are 100% always telling the truth.

So what do you propose as a solution? HR could look into this and never find any proof either way. So what is fair?

 

[Mael]

Sorry from my experience I found that quite difficult to achieve at least especially for repeated offense. Usually everyone know everything that's going on... sometimes almost literally everything...... For your scenario to happen The company itself must harness this kind of culture where sexual harassment is common. He/She still could harass him privately but that also means that he could have some proof on him/her.

A company wouldn't need to, sexual harassment is depressingly common.
It's not a Hollywood, ND/Sony or even an American problem.
There's so many predators out there that try to single out the weakest link they can find and try their thing in the most inconspicuous way possible.
It's a problem at far more companies than you would expect, it's certainly the case in France and I have seen nothing to show that it would be different in the US.

Believe it or not some Company even willing to fire someone just from a single complaint about sexual harassment. NO ONE wants to work in toxic environment.

Citation needed, no one wants to be sued over enabling a toxic work environment but that's about it.

I mean you have a point, and I have a point. I doubt either of us are smart enough to figure out a solution to this that will fix the problem....probably why it's still a problem.

It's not fair to assume victims of sexual harassment are lying.

It's not fair to assume victims of sexual harassment are 100% always telling the truth.

So what do you propose as a solution? HR could look into this and never find any proof either way. So what is fair?

Maybe not firing the people that raise this type of complaints would be a good start...
If the justice system worked the same way, nearly every people who sued for sexual assault would pay for the accused's party lawyer fees.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

it's still possible that sexual assault occurred. but i dunno if he was fired directly for reporting it...

 

[MosquitoSmasher]

So he didn't respond to Kotaku yet. Makes me wonder why he came forward on Twitter then. He clearly wanted to make it known.

 

[rochellepaws]

So he didn't respond to Kotaku yet. Makes me wonder why he came forward on Twitter then. He clearly wanted to make it known.

Perhaps he is receiving legal advice? He has made some very serious claims and if he has evidence to back it up then Kotaku certainly isn't the place he should be going with it.

 

[Yjynx]

A company wouldn't need to, sexual harassment is depressingly common.
It's not a Hollywood, ND/Sony or even an American problem.
There's so many predators out there that try to single out the weakest link they can find and try their thing in the most inconspicuous way possible.
It's a problem at far more companies than you would expect, it's certainly the case in France and I have seen nothing to show that it would be different in the US.



Citation needed, no one wants to be sued over enabling a toxic work environment but that's about it.

Does it happen? for sure but not on all company for sure. For example you could expect company that support progressive movement would make an effort to prevent any of this to happen. For Hollywood case there have been rumour about it for quite awhile hence no surprised. But for this case even some ND employee themselves were shocked and completely blindsided to it.


Almost all HR that I met always sided with the victim since if something happen (like this situation for example) he would shoulder all the blame.

 

[Gaogaogao]

They tried to talk before running the story. Something people are missing.

 

[HueyFreeman]

Totally aside, but Bravo once again Jason. The only journalist in games journalism.

I think we’re way in advance of knowing what’s happened but great that someone is actually trying to make something meaningful happen.

 

[GHG]

"Some of Ballard’s troubles became more widely known in late February of that year after he sent a hostile e-mail to a tech artist that was CCed to everyone at the company, two people said."


Sheesh. You would get fired immediately at most companies for doing something like that. So that's the likely reason he got fired. And considering how people tend to talk within industries it wouldn't surprise me that it's the reason he's struggled to find a new job since (if he's actually tried).

It doesn't mean his allegations are false but he now needs to come out and talk about what happened in more detail.

 

[Kaako]

Thanks for shedding more light on this, Jason.

 

[PuppetMaster]

it's still possible that sexual assault occurred. but i dunno if he was fired directly for reporting it...

He never claimed "sexual assault" he said sexual harrasment.

At least in a court of law this is a huge difference.

And he has never indicated anything physical happened. It sounds like it was verbal because there is no email or digital trail. But we don't know if it was explicitly sexual or implied sexuality.

For example I would agree someone even whistling at an attractive woman/man in the workplace is sexual harrasment. But you would not be able to convince any court (in the USA) that constitutes sexual assault.

 

[jaybe00]

it's still possible that sexual assault occurred. but i dunno if he was fired directly for reporting it...

You need to get your facts right. He alleged sexual harassment, not sexual assault. Sexual assault implies physical contact from the prepatrator, and while both are terrible, sexual assault is certainly a degree (if not several) worse.

 

[zelas]

The one thing that makes me think he’s not making it up, is that it just doesn’t 100% add up. Like I sort of get why somebody would make up an allegation about a specific person, jilted lover, etc. but not why someone would make an allegation about a non-specific person at a company they used to work for.

The possible reasons why are the exact kind of reasons that could lead to a group of employees lining up to dispute his claims. It's not unheard of for former employees to complain about a company's workplace culture rather than specific individuals at company. He also could have avoided naming someone to avoid legal issues or to not give anyone anything concrete to start investigating, as then his story would unravel if he was actually lying. Nothing adds up for people to hold strong feelings one way or another. At this point all possibilities are on the table.

 

[Clear]

Never said that was Jason's intention

It seems implausible to me that an allegation like that would ever be "planted" in order to smear Ballard. If it were fabricated then everyone else within the studio would have been given a giant red-flag that there's fire behind this smoke, risking further concern and possibly whistle-blowing.

Not to suggest its completely beyond the realm of possibility, but it does strike me as improbable.

The key thing here is that a lead at a development studio is not Harvey Weinstein, from a corporate perspective any person at that level will be seen as being infinitely expendable. They'd get quietly sidelined then shit-canned if it was generally believed they were a disruptive presence and a risk of further bad publicity or legal action.

 

[big_erk]

You're talking about harassment culture in a company.
That doesn't preclude harassment happening at all in a company without a pervasively hostile environment.
If the harasser is not an idiot, it's not hard for the predator to assault someone and try to pass it off as something else.
It's all cool and great to assume that because you work in a big company it means that HR is on the ball but they're not everywhere and a predator knowingly targetting victims while trying to be conspicuous could fly under the radar.
It's far from unheard of.
And on top of that it doesn't change the fact that it's nearly as efficient to call HR as it is to put in your resignation!

I think you misunderstood what I was saying. Yes, unfortunately harassment happens all to often and often goes unreported. Also, unfortunately, there are often others that are aware of the situation directly or indirectly who do nothing more than pass on gossip about the situation. As I've said, I've seen it firsthand. Maybe my experience is unique.

 

[the_darkness]

So is everyone who shat on Naughty Dog following their initial statement going to walk that back or nah?

 

[Meme Master Flux]

God this is such a shitshow.
Ballard has to come up and say something.

 

[Boke1879]

I feel like the cc part is to destroy the guys credibility, this is why people don't come out

Or it's the truth. He did have a breakdown and this was likely part of it. Not to mention this gives us insight as to why HR got involved.

None of this says he wasn't harassed or abused. It's just giving context as to what may have happened.

 

[Kin5290]

So he didn't respond to Kotaku yet. Makes me wonder why he came forward on Twitter then. He clearly wanted to make it known.

If he retained an attorney, the first bit of legal advice he would receive would be to shut up and stop talking publicly about it.

 

[AkelisRain]

Email copy.

Carbon copy?

 

[LightofRohan]

I get this is how the internet goes, but it's gross to me to sit around talking about something most of us have no basis in, making claims we don't have verified about some serious issues that need to be worked out. This just seems like a matter that needs to be internally figured out before everyone passes judgments and jumps on.

But I guess saying this on the internet is pointless.

 

[Laughing Banana]

Why do some in here believe that "his allegations of harassment is not credible because of his mental breakdown" and "not that he has a mental breakdown because of the harassment?"

I mean, those two possibilities are equally possible and yet some in here seem so quick to believe the first option as the real one.

And wow at one of the comments:

 

[Ricky_R]

Carbon copy?

Well, yeah... That's the literal meaning.

 

[BigEmil]

This almost seems like a hit-piece against Ballard.

What's the point of including this in the article?

You can't exclude anything for better judgement, the more info the more it leads to the truth but by bit

 

[Gestault]

Just so people know, CC refers to "carbon copy" for an email, which sends an identical copy of the email to whomever else is CC'd, and all recipients can see each other in the email formatting. A BCC would be a "blind carbon copy," where the primary recipient can't see those who were BCC'd, but those people also recieved the same email.

 

[Apathy]

People really calling Jason Schreier's work a hit piece, really? of all games journalist you want to toss that accusation at Jason?

 

[Boke1879]

People really calling Jason Schreier's work a hit piece, really? of all games journalist you want to toss that accusation at Jason?

Yea as a journalist. Jason isn't taking any sides. Merely providing information. As he should.

 

[Muffin1611]

Why do some in here believe that "his allegations of harassment is not credible because of his mental breakdown" and "not that he has a mental breakdown because of the harassment?"

I mean, those two possibilities are equally possible and yet some in here seem so quick to believe the first option as the real one.

And wow at one of the comments:

If that commenter turns out legit, then this will be a very bad look.

 

[dugdug]

And wow at one of the comments:

I’m not about to just openly believe every random commenter on the internet. Much more inclined to believe Ballard, as dude put his name and identity forward.

 

[foolishoptimist]

The key thing here is that a lead at a development studio is not Harvey Weinstein, from a corporate perspective any person at that level will be seen as being infinitely expendable. They'd get quietly sidelined then shit-canned if it was generally believed they were a disruptive presence and a risk of further bad publicity or legal action.

I can tell you that does not always happen.

In situations where only one person is being harassed, often the person raising the issue is treated like the problem. They are often separated, usually to the detriment of the victim, to make the problem go away.

My wife recently left a job where this happened, and now her replacement has almost identical complaints.

 

[Liabe Brave]

In France, about 95% of women who do that are fired after all.

And on top of that it doesn't change the fact that it's nearly as efficient to call HR as it is to put in your resignation!

Again raising complaints about sexual harassment is one of the quickest way to get fired.

This is incorrect. It is not the case that 95% of women who report harassment are fired in France. The statistic you're misremembering is that 95% leave the job, but this also includes women who quit. No one should be fired simply for filing a complaint, but please be accurate with what you say.

It's a problem at far more companies than you would expect, it's certainly the case in France and I have seen nothing to show that it would be different in the US.

Actually, there is good reason to believe the situation in the US is different. It's my understanding there was no law on sexual harassment in France until 2002, when a Union-wide EU directive made it necessary. But it only covered attempts to obtain sexual favors until 2012, when it was refined and expanded.

By contrast, sexual harassment cases began in the 70s in the United States, and a full definition including unwelcome comments was solidified by the Supreme Court in 1986.

 

[Laughing Banana]

I’m not about to just openly believe every random commenter on the internet. Much more inclined to believe Ballard, as dude put his name and identity forward.

Well yes, but there's a chance that that commenter is also legit. If so, we may hear about new stuff soon.

 

[Tajaz2426]

I am not making any assumptions based off for the information so far. However, on the topic of his "mental breakdown", it is possible to not remember things correctly and even make up and believe things hat didn't happen. He could possible believe that this incident happened as it may be a false memory.

I speak from first hand knowledge on this as I suffer from severe PTSD and have been hosptialized more times than I can think now. I have memories of things that never happened, but they are so ingrained in my head that they feel just like a real memory.

Case in point, we were on movement in Iraq in the AL Anbar Province and things went awfully wrong. I have different memories of our movements, called in air support, and where people were during it.

It is possible that he could have false memories caused by his breakdown. Is it Possible? Yes it very well is. Amy I saying that is what Happened? No, we will probably never know.

I hope no matter what this gentleman is getting the help he needs as this types of things, you can live with for years. My last pump to the sandbox was in 07 and my mental health keeps getting worse even though I receive medical attention daily.

Edit: Misspelled quite a few things on new phone. Sorry.

 

[ActWan]

Even after this article people should not jump to conclusions. It's best for the masses to stay on the sideline and monitor the situation. Obviously offering support to whomever want to come forward.

Yup. Too many people on all the threads regarding this event are playing the judge, jury and executioner.

 

[SolidChamp]

I believe further investigation into this matter is fully warranted. There should absolutely be a bevy of questions to answer.

However, I don’t think labeling this situation or painting it with broad strokes is going to accomplish anything. Too much is uncertain. A sensationalist approach to some fired up witch hunt is absolutely the wrong way about it. So, on that note, choose your words carefully in your tweets, Jason. This isn’t the Weinstein incident. There’s nothing “sickening” about this...yet. We just don’t know enough to go there.

 

[daman824]

I'm inclined to believe the accuser here. He works in a field where he could have easily gotten another job had he kept quiet. And there are no major negative consiquences against Sony and ND as it's only being talked about in a few places like neogaf.

Plus, he's potentially ruined his professional career. And for what? I hope that posting what he did on twitter has helped him in some way to overcome what happened

I probably won't boycott Sony or ND products. But I believe something happened

 

[bigjig]

Let this be a lesson for everyone who piled on ND/Sony in the other thread in the face of no actual evidence.

 

[Muffin1611]

Let this be a lesson for everyone who piled on ND/Sony in the other thread in the face of no actual evidence.

What? Nothing to make the claim less credible is revealed in this article.

 

[Instro]

People really calling Jason Schreier's work a hit piece, really? of all games journalist you want to toss that accusation at Jason?

It's not that it's a hit piece, it's a question of whether the information he is being fed is intentionally slanted to make Ballard look bad. Whether that is the case or not, it's a common practice in industries where the reported are in close contact with the industry they report on.

Let this be a lesson for everyone who piled on ND/Sony in the other thread in the face of no actual evidence.

But this isn't actual evidence of anything really.

 

[demigod]

Was going to reply in other thread yesterday but feared of getting banned like some in this thread already.

I never believed the guy from the beginning. I wouldn't doubt that he's lying about sexual harassment when he got fired for other reasons. Case in point mass emailing the company with hate. That shit can get you fired quick. Why he didn't pursue legal matters about the sexual harassment is telling. Like how that one woman called the cops on Nelly about rape and now asks the police to stop the investigation because she obviously lied about it.

Would i be surprised if he was actually sexually harassed? No, because it can happen in any industry and any company. It's just human nature and it won't stop.

 

[RustyNails]

Let this be a lesson for everyone who piled on ND/Sony in the other thread in the face of no actual evidence.

If someone says they were sexually harassed, it's worthwhile to approach the situation assuming they are telling the truth instead of assuming they are lying from the outset. Its a small price to pay if you're wrong.

 

[thekiddfran]

For a guy was open to telling all on Twitter, he is very quite now.

My guess is he has solicitors involved now