Three before Ubisoft Leaders have been obliged to facilitate – and in some cases participate in – a workplace culture that enabled sexual and psychological harassment during their time at the company. The verdict adds weight to the wave of allegations of misunderstanding that swept through Ubisoft half a decade ago. The ex-executives in the middle of it will probably not serve prison time.
The trial – in Bobigny, France – centered on alleged misunderstandings between 2012 and 2020. On July 2, the Bobigny Court issued a first instance judgment who found three former Ubisoft managers who are obliged to promote a toxic culture of sexual and psychological harassment at the company's office in Montreuil, a suburb in eastern Paris.
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In the heart of the decision is the former editorial VP Thomas Francois, who resigned from Ubisoft 2020 after being interrupted in the wake of the allegations of toxic work cultures. During the trial, a witness testified that he forced her to make a hand stand while she was in a skirt, the Guardian reports. “He was my superior and I was afraid of him. He made me make hand cities. I did it to get over and get rid of him,” she said. Francois received a suspected three years in prison and a fine of € 30,000. He testified that there was a “culture to joke around” during his time at Ubisoft, but insisted that he never tried to hurt anyone.
Sentences distributed in Ubisoft workplace harassment
- Thomas Francois (Previous editorial and creative services VP): suspended three -year penalty, € 30,000 (~ $ 35.4K) fines.
- Serge Hascoët (Former Chief Creative Officer): suspended 18-month penalty, EUR 45,000 (~ $ 53,000) fines.
- Guillaume Patrux (Former Director): Suspended 12-month penalty, € 10,000 (~ $ 11.8,000) fines.
Former Ubisoft Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoët was found guilty of participation in sexual harassment and psychological harassment, while being acquitted for participation in psychological harassment and sexual harassment. He was suspended 18-month imprisonment and a fine of EUR 45,000. During the trial, the court heard that he bullied assistants to pursue personal cases for him and drew pranks on them. He testified that he was not aware of any harassment that happened outside his glass office. His lawyer is considering an appeal.
He was my superior, and I was afraid of him. He made me make a hand stand. I did it to get over it and get rid of him.
Former Ubisoft Game Director Guillaume Patrux received a 12-month imprisonment and a fine of € 10,000 for being guilty on a “smaller scale” psychological harassment. He threatened to perform an office shooting, punched walls and once set a colleague beard in fire with a lighter. He denied the charges.
During the trial, the lawyers emphasized to all three defendants that they were never at the end of any warnings or other disciplinary measures from human resources to indicate some Errors, let alone something as serious as promoting a toxic culture at Ubisoft. Since all of them were issued suspended judgments, the judgment will not lead to any prison time unless the test is violated.
Source: AFP / Yahoo News
- Date founded
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March 28, 1986
- Head office
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Saint Mandé, France
- CEO
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Yves guillot
