Sony PlayStation hit with gender discrimination lawsuit

(Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

Former IT security analyst at Sony PlayStation, Emma Majo, has filed a gender discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit against the console maker.

Majo has alleged (via Axios) that she was ignored by her managers, who seemed to only respond to men, was routinely snubbed for promotions and found herself terminated when she filed a gender bias complaint. She notes that Sony fired her because her department was shut down but Majo did not work in the internal department specified by Sony.

The lawsuit states that, "Sony discriminates against female employees, including those who are female and those who identify as female, in compensation and promotion and subjects them to a work culture predominated by men."

Majo also says that other women at the gaming giant would struggle to get promoted at the same rate as men. She also heard other managers imply that women were more emotional and less professional than male employees. Majo was fired after submitting a signed statement that outlined Sony PlayStation's gender bias and alleges she was fired, "because she is female and because she spoke up about discrimination against females.”

The lawsuit claims, "Sony tolerates and cultivates a work environment that discriminates against female employees."

The news comes a week after PlayStation Head Jim Ryan sent out a mail to employees saying that the leadership at the company was "disheartened and stunned" at the Activision Blizzard revelations and Activision had, "not done enough to address a deep-seated culture of discrimination and harassment."

Ryan's comments were in response to reports that Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick allegedly knew about the toxic culture at the company and did nothing to stop it.