Concluding trials that began last month, a French court has convicted three former Ubisoft executives based on accusations of systemic racism, bullying, and sexual misconduct that emerged in 2020 (via Courthouse News Service).
Serge Hascoët, Tommy François, and Guillaume Patrux—all of whom had either resigned or been dismissed following the 2020 reports—have been found guilty of harassment charges. Each has received suspended sentences.
François, former Ubisoft vice president of editorial and creative services, has received the heaviest sentence of a suspended three-year term, having also been convicted on charges of attempted sexual assault after being accused of trying to forcibly kiss a restrained employee during a holiday party.
Testimonies also alleged that François engaged in other forms of workplace sexual misconduct by showing pornography in Ubisoft offices and participating in games where employees were chased and—if they were caught—groped. François has also been ordered to pay a €30,000/$35,340 fine.
Hascoët, former chief creative officer, has received an 18-month suspended sentence, having been found guilty of "psychological harassment and complicity in sexual harassment." An internal Ubisoft investigation and court testimony describe a workplace in which employees under Hascoët were subjected to racial slurs and Islamophobic pranks.
While Hascoët received a shorter sentence, he was ordered to pay a steeper fine of €40,000/$47,190.
Patrux, formerly a game director at Ubisoft, received the lightest sentence of a 12-month suspended term and €10,000/$11,800 fine. His sentencing describes his bullying as "smaller scale" but "particularly intense," which allegedly entailed throwing office equipment and even lighting a man's beard on fire.
While the defendants' lawyers argued throughout the trial that their clients were never disciplined during their time at Ubisoft, the publisher's own internal audit concluded that there was effectively "no HR policy until 2020."
As they were issued suspended sentences, the trio of former executives will avoid serving their time in prison—provided they comply with probationary conditions.
Maude Beckers, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, described the convictions as "a very good decision today, and for the future."
"For all companies, it means that when there is toxic management, managers must be held accountable and employers can no longer let it slide," Beckers said.
