Sixteen Twitch Staff Accuse Company of Sexism, Harassment, and Racism
Sixteen Twitch employees have come forward to accuse the company of fostering a culture of sexual assault, sexism, harassment, and racism, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz.
Accusations Spanning Twitch’s History
The allegations date back to the early days of Twitch, when it was known as Justin.tv. The accusations include biased treatment towards women, incidents of forced kisses and groping, slut-shaming of streamers, and even an instance of one woman being verbally abused and spat on by a coworker.
According to one woman who spoke with GamesIndustry.biz, Twitch never felt like a safe place. There was a lack of accountability and nowhere to turn for support if threatened or harmed. The HR department was not reliable and seeking help often made things worse.
Many of the individuals who came forward said that Twitch’s HR department did not adequately support employees and would often ignore or exacerbate the situation. In one case, a person reported harassment to HR only to face retaliation from the person they reported.
Twitch’s Response to #MeToo Movement
In light of the #MeToo movement that shook the gaming and esports world in June, Twitch released a statement promising to investigate allegations and work with law enforcement where necessary. The company also began permanently banning streamers involved in severe allegations.
Samantha Wong and her husband, former Twitch VP Justin Wong, called out the company for dismissing and minimizing Samantha’s sexual harassment claims. Justin’s reports to higher-ups were also fruitless, despite his high position within the company.
Twitch’s former director of strategic partnerships, Hassan Bokhari, was accused of abusing his position to manipulate a streamer into performing sexual acts. Bokhari has since been permanently banned and fired from Twitch, as reported by esports journalist Rod “Slasher” Breslau.
A Twitch spokesperson stated that the company is committed to building communities and that many of the allegations mentioned are years old. They claim to have taken significant steps to improve support for employees and the community, including investing in the HR team and implementing anonymous reporting systems for allegations.
Continued Concerns of Safety and Racism
Twitch has also faced criticism for neglecting safety concerns for racial and ethnic minorities, women, and underrepresented groups on its platform. The decision-makers, who have predominantly been white and male, have been accused of dismissing hate speech and racism within the workplace.
A former lead product manager, Olivia Grace, reported that Twitch CEO Emmett Shear refused her request to remove a raccoon emote that was used for racist harassment.
Twitch Responds to Allegations
In response to the employee accounts, Twitch released a statement expressing disappointment and acknowledging the need for improvement. The company emphasized its commitment to supporting employees and the community and highlighted the steps they have taken to address these issues, including diversity in leadership and investing in HR and safety teams.