A fired Ubisoft PR director is the latest executive to leave the company in the ongoing sexual harassment investigation that has rocked the French publisher.
Stone Chin, former PR director at Ubisoft, has been fired. The news comes from Chin’s own Twitter account where he released a statement explaining what happened.
The allegations stem from an incident in 2012, “made by a woman with whom, eight years ago, I spent an evening of consensual intimacy that stopped short of full sexual intercourse.” Following the incident, Chin said that the woman regretted the encounter and felt that she was just a conquest. Discussions following the incident led to their reconciliation wrote Chin, and that any allegations of sexual assault are “not true.”
However, Chin was still fired largely for his mistreatment of women at Ubisoft. “My employer told me that the reason for my termination was its conclusion that I have failed to uphold the company’s code of conduct over the course of my career at the company,” wrote Chin. Specific criticisms were pointed at his passive-aggressive management style and disrespectful language.
The only specific example provided was two occasions where Chin asked female coworkers out on dates. When he was refused, those coworkers felt that Chin gave them the “cold shoulder in response.”
“I can see that my actions as a manager over the years while at the company have hurt people. It has been a time of reflection and self-examination over the past few weeks and I do recognize now there are emotional wounds that I’ve caused people,” Chin continued. “For this, I am truly, profoundly sorry. I hope for the opportunity to speak to people individually to make amends.”
He concluded by stating he will take this time to reflect with friends and family, as well as seek therapy.
News of Chin’s firing comes after four top Ubisoft executives voluntarily left the company. Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoët, Ubisoft Canada Director Yannis Mallat, Global Head of HR Cécile Cornet, and Vice President Editorial Maxime Béland all resigned from their positions after the scandal broke late last month.
Source: Twitter, GamesIndustry.biz
