Former Crunchyroll Employee Alleges Workplace Hostility: “Severance in Exchange for Silence”

A former Crunchyroll employee has written a public statement alleging that the anime streaming giant created a toxic work environment, and offered him financial severance in exchange for his silence following his termination. Shawn Hoffman, who worked as a Sr. Software Engineer at Crunchyroll, wrote a post on his Linkedin, detailing his experience during his “hardest year.” This is part of a series of allegations brought against the company, from their tech team to voice actors over the past year, while Hoffman’s story is only beginning to unfold.

“I gave my all to Crunchyroll,” the post began. “Even while facing one of the most devastating challenges of my life — my mother’s terminal cancer.” Hoffman requested accommodation through the Americans with Disabilities Act to help with his “stress, depression, and anxiety,” which had become “overwhelming,” leading to a diagnosis of anxiety and depressive disorder. However, Shawn Hoffman alleges that his request caused senior staff to treat him differently, with the company’s HR department failing to intervene.

Shawn Hoffman “Experienced Hostility” From Senior Crunchyroll Staff

“A manager I didn’t even report to cursed me out and made an extremely obscene gesture during a workplace conversation,” the post continued — the image can be found below. “I documented the incident and reported it to HR. Instead of taking corrective action, I noticed a shift in how I was treated — subtle at first, then more overt.”

Shawn Hoffman said he raised concerns about “workplace treatment, professionalism, and respect.” He then revealed he was fired shortly after raising the concerns, with a “policy violation” being the reason for his termination. He then alleged that “they offered me severance in exchange for silence.”

This is, unfortunately, not the first incident of a former Crunchyroll employee claiming the streaming giant has a toxic work environment. In November last year, voice actor David Wald (Fairy Tail & Vinland Saga) stepped away from his various ongoing roles in shows distributed by Crunchyroll, claiming “Their abuses are FAR too numerous to list here,” in a post on social media.

[RELATED – Crunchyroll Assures Anime Fans That Its Systems Weren’t Compromised]

Shawn Hoffman Files Official Complaint for “Discrimination” Against Crunchyroll

In a more recent update on Linkedin, Shawn Hoffman thanked those who had reached out to him following his initial post. “I want to thank everyone for the overwhelming support since I spoke out about how Crunchyroll handled my situation,” the new post began. Hoffman asked supporters not to take matters into their own hands and bully other Crunchyroll employees online, writing, “I do not condone harassment of anyone involved. My intent has always been to highlight workplace accountability, not to direct hostility.”

Hoffman then confirmed that he has filed an official complaint against Crunchyroll through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for “retaliation and disability discrimination.” Hoffman alleges that Crunchyroll’s vice president of HR sent him “hostile” emails “insisting I ‘have no valid claims’ and demanding I ‘remove or correct’ my statements to fit their narrative.”

Shawn Hoffman has also been in contact with other former Crunchyroll employees who experienced similar treatment at the company. “Since speaking out, several current and former Crunchyroll employees have come forward to share their own experiences,” he continued. “Some have faced similar treatment, while others have seen these patterns firsthand.”

Crunchyroll has yet to issue an official statement about the situation.