Naughty Dog Responds to Sexual Harassment Allegations

Naughty Dog has issued a statement concerning the sexual harassment allegations that recently [...]

By Tanner Dedmon

Naughty Dog has issued a statement concerning the sexual harassment allegations that recently surfaced from a former employee.

On Saturday, ex-Naughty Dog employee David Ballard shared his story via Twitter where he claimed that he was a victim of sexual abuse while employed with the developer. After detailing the story and an alleged coverup by Sony and Naughty Dog through several tweets, Ballard's claims received significant publicity and were eventually brought to the attention of the developer.

More context on Ballard's story can be seen in his tweet below in addition to the full response from Naughty Dog, a statement that appears to refute Ballard's claims while reiterating a company stance against sexual harassment.

David Ballard's Claims

In Ballard's initial tweet, he claimed that he was sexually harassed at Naughty Dog by a superior, an altercation that soon led to the deterioration of his position within the company.

Expanding on the claims, Ballard said that he spoke to Sony PlayStation HR about the allegations and was subsequently fired the following day with a statement that said his job was "no longer needed." From there, he said that he was offered a $20,000 deal if he didn't talk to anyone about the termination, a deal that he declined.

Ballard said that he felt strong enough to now share his story in light of the resolve that he's seen in others coming forward with sexual harassment claims recently in the TV and film industry.

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Naughty Dog's Statement

Naughty Dog

Naughty Dog has issued a response to Ballard's sexual harassment allegations, the full response seen below:

"We have recently read on social media that an ex-employee of Naughty Dog, Dave Ballard, claims he was sexually harassed when he worked at Naughty Dog. We have not found any evidence of having received allegations from Mr. Ballard that he was harassed in any way at Naughty Dog or Sony Interactive Entertainment. Harassment and inappropriate conduct have no place at Naughty Dog and Sony Interactive Entertainment. We have taken and always will take reports of sexual harassment and other workplace grievances very seriously. We value every single person who works at Naughty Dog and Sony interactive Entertainment. It is of utmost importance to us that we maintain a safe, productive workplace environment that allows us all to channel our shared passion for making games."

No further reports of communications between Ballard, Naughty Dog, and Sony are available at this time.

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