Bloomberg Law: Gaming’s ‘Bro Culture’ Faces Crackdown From California Regulator

August 24. 2021

ERA Executive Director Noreen Farrell was featured in a Bloomberg Law article yesterday commenting on the CA Dept. of Fair Employment & Housing’s lawsuit against 2 gaming companies over sexual harassment, discrimination, and silencing of workers:

It’s unusual for a state agency like the DFEH to pursue such cases itself in court, said Noreen Farrell, executive director of Equal Rights Advocates, a civil rights organization focused on gender in the workplace. “It is a powerful signal to the gaming industry of the standards it will apply to other cases across California, and it may embolden state agencies elsewhere to do the same.

California has some of the strongest state laws in the country addressing harassment and discrimination, so it is certainly a good venue to set standards for the gaming industry,” explained Farrell. “These include clear definitions about what constitutes sexual harassment and strong prohibitions against retaliation,” she added. “California also benefits from the California Fair Pay Act of 2015.

Other state agencies can and should follow the example of the DFEH and press enforcement so that women and others can work in safety.

Read the article.