Game company Activision Blizzard is facing legal action from the family of a former employee after she committed suicide.
Kerry Moynihan’s parents filed a complaint Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging sexual harassment by a company boss contributed to Moynihan’s death, The Washington Post reported.
Moynihan, a former financial manager for the company, committed suicide in 2017 during a corporate retreat.
Her parents, Paul and Janet Moynihan, claim that sexual harassment was a “significant factor” in her death.
In the lawsuit, they allege that Moynihan’s boss, Greg Restitutito, lied to investigators about a sexual relationship he had with Moynihan to try to cover up the relationship after her death, the Post reported.
The suit alleges that Restituto spoke to Moynihan during a company retreat and wrote to her on the morning of April 27, 2017: “Please don’t do this. Not tonight. Think about it and decide when your mind is clear.” She died less than an hour after the message was sent, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also alleges that the company will not hand over Moynihan’s or Restituto’s cell phones or laptops to the police.
“The harassment that Kerry endured was a significant factor in Kerry’s harm … tragically culminating in Kerry’s death at the age of 32,” the lawsuit says, according to the Post.
The complaint accuses Restituito and Activision Blizzard of covering up her death and says that the Anaheim Police Department conducted a “superficial and incomplete investigation,” the publication notes.
It says the police allegedly did not question Restitutio about a text message he sent to Moynihan shortly before her death or fingerprint dust.
The company is “deeply saddened by the tragic death of Ms. Moynihan, who was a valued employee of the company. We will take the complaint to court and out of respect for the family, we have no further comment at this time,” a spokesperson for The Post said.
In a statement to The Hill, the police department said “our heartfelt sympathy goes to the Moynihan family, but we stand by our investigation and its findings.”
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is currently investigating Activision Blizzard for allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination.
The Hill has reached out to the company and Moynihan’s parents’ lawyers for comment.