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Riot Games reverses course on class action settlement and tries to force gender discrimination plaintiffs to arbitrate

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA, January 26, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- After two years of negotiations and an initial class settlement offer with prior plaintiffs’ counsel that was so low it triggered two California state agencies’ involvement, Riot Games is seeking to compel its female employees into individual secret arbitrations. The women of Riot are fighting to keep their sexual harassment and pay equity claims in court and collectively advance as a class.

On Monday, Jan. 25, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. PST lawyers for both sides will ask a Los Angeles court to determine if Riot Games’ course reversal amounts to a waiver of the mandatory individual arbitration clause included in most of the plaintiffs’ employment contracts.

“For two years Riot Games pursued settlement instead of arbitration, trying to reap the benefits that the court could deliver via a classwide settlement,” says plaintiffs’ counsel Genie Harrison, nationally recognized for cases against the Weinstein Company and other high-profile offenders and for prosecuting class actions. “Even after the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement opposed the initial settlement, Riot Games continued to engage in talks while we spent time, effort and money on experts to determine a fair settlement.”

“Now that Riot knows it can’t settle the case on the cheap, it wants to force Riot women into arbitration, preventing the women from fighting together as a group against the company,” Harrison adds. “If Riot succeeds, it will pay a private judge huge amounts of money to decide the fate of the women’s claims. And all that will happen in secret, with Riot’s discriminatory conduct hidden from the public.”

If the court approves Riot Games’ motion, not only will years of effort be wasted, but women who are already part of the class will need to file individual arbitration actions.

To attend the January 25th hearing virtually, follow these instructions:
- Sign up for an account here: https://my.lacourt.org/remoteaudio/welcome
- Fill in the form on this screen: https://my.lacourt.org/remoteaudio/case-proceedings
Case Type: Civil
Case Number: 18STCV03957
Case Title: McCracken v. Riot Games
Select the Courthouse: Spring Street
Select the Department Number: 6
Date of Hearing/Proceeding: 1/25/21
Hearing Time: 1:30 P.M. The court moved up the time to 9:00 a.m. but did not update its case management system. TO REGISTER YOU MUST INPUT 1:30, BUT CALL IN MONDAY AT 9:00 A.M.
- Submit Request

Harrison will hold a Zoom press conference once the court issues its ruling. To receive an invitation, email brenda@newsroompr.com.

Brenda McGann
+1 310-649-1450
email us here
Newsroom PR