California Lawyer Resigns From DFEH, Claims Governor Newsom Interfered With Activision Blizzard Case

Serious allegations are coming from a former attorney of California against the state’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, today, as reported by Bloomberg. According to Bloomberg, the allegations relate to possible interference by Activision Blizzard’s California Department of Fair Employment and Housing in the case.

Melanie Proctor was assistant chief counsel to Califonia’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing. She resigned following Janette Whipper, her superior, being fired. Proctor’s resignation is in protest of what she calls interference of California Governor Gavin Newsom in the DFEH’s case against Activision Blizzard. 

Bloomberg reports that Proctor wrote to her staff over the past few weeks. In an email to staff, she said, “The Office of the Governor repeatedly demanded advance notice of litigation strategy and next steps in the litigation.” It describes the extent of interference. She says that Activision’s counsel was influenced by the fact that they were winning in the state courts.

Janette Wipper, former Senior Counsel to DFEH, was attempting to safeguard the DFEH’s independence. The report says that Proctor “was abruptly terminated” for this reason. Proctor sent an email to employees stating that she resigned today from her position “in protest at the interference and Janett being terminated.”

The news is coming just weeks after the potential $18million settlement was revealed for this lawsuit. The settlement would likely be much lower than what Riot Games had to settle late last year for a similar case involving workplace discrimination. 

Now that two of the top attorneys have left the case on the DFEH side, leading to severe interference allegations leveled against California’s Governor, the legal battle that’s been embroiling Activision Blizzard since last summer is taking some unexpected turns outside of the company. We’ll try to provide any updates to this ever-evolving case as it develops.