PlayStation’s ‘Systemic Sexism’ Results In A Second Lawsuit

A former PlayStation employee is suing parent company Sony for a second time over what the lawsuit describes as “gender-based discrimination and gender-based harassment” after a similar legal action was dismissed in April. (h/t Axios)

In the five years and change that Emma Majo worked for PlayStation as a financial systems business analyst, the new class action complaint filed on May 20 explains, she encountered an environment of “systemic sexism” at the company that included lower pay for female employees compared to male co-workers in the same roles and the routine denial of promotions for women.

Majo also claims she was terminated for speaking up about these issues.

“Sony tolerates and cultivates a work environment that discriminates against female employees, including female employees and those who identify as female,” the lawsuit reads, adding later: “Because of Sony’s systemic pattern and practice of gender discrimination, the Plaintiff and members of the proposed Class have suffered harm including lost compensation, back pay, employment benefits, and emotional distress.”

While many of the allegations are the same (if helpfully backed up by new info), the scope of Majo’s new lawsuit is more limited. Rather than seeking damages for all women employed by PlayStation in the United States, it now encompasses only those women who worked in California below the vice president level. The scaled-down focus is likely a direct response to Majo’s previous lawsuit being tossed out last February for a lack of supporting details.

After Majo first sued Sony over its treatment of female PlayStation employees, eight more women came forward with accounts supporting the allegations, all of which were added to the original lawsuit and resurface in the May 20 filing.

“At [Sony Online Entertainment], I received an email from an engineer telling me that I shouldn’t wear a skirt to work anymore because it was distracting to him,” said Marie Harrington, a Sony veteran who left the company in 2019. “Men were ranking their female colleagues on hotness levels. There were email distribution lists for filthy jokes and images of women. [4chan] was used throughout the workday to further share offensive images of women.”

Sony did not immediately respond to Kotaku’s request for comment.