Posts

wnba

WNBA Investigates Reports Of Racial Slurs From Fans

/in , /by

The WNBA stated that they are currently investigating reports of racial slurs directed towards Angel Reese during Saturday’s Chicago Sky, Indiana Fever game. 

“The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms – they have no place in our league or in society. We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter,” the league said in a statement. 

Embed from Getty Images

The timing of the incident is currently unclear, however, the Fever released a statement that they are committed to their investigation.

“We are aware of the allegations of inappropriate fan conduct during yesterday’s game and we are working closely with the WNBA to complete their investigation. We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players.”

In the third quarter of the game with 4 minutes and 38 seconds remaining, Fever was up 56-42. Reese was claiming an offensive rebound and moving towards the basket when Indiana’s 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark slammed into Reese with her right arm, knocking her into the ground. 

Reese immediately stood up and made an attempt to confront Clark, who then walked away with Indiana’s Aliyah Boston stepped between the two of them. Clark received an upgraded foul from personal to flagrant 1 and Reese and Boston received technical fouls. 

Both Reese and Clark lessened the situation after the fact. The alleged racial slurs are unknown to be related to the initial confrontation, and Chicago Sky President and CEO Adam Fox made it clear that they “welcome the WNBA’s investigation of the allegations of fan misconduct,” according to  the Associated Press. 

Embed from Getty Images

“We will do everything in our power to protect Chicago Sky players, and we encourage the league to continue taking meaningful steps to create a safe environment for all WNBA players,” Fox stated. 

The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) stated that it was “aware of the reports of hateful comments and supports the WNBA’s investigation.”

In a statement, the players union said:

“Such behavior is unacceptable in our sport. Under the WNBA’s ‘No Space for Hate’ policy, we trust the league to thoroughly investigate and take swift, appropriate action to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

The WNBA initially launched their “No Space for Hate” campaign ahead of the new season. The movement is set to target hate and promote respect in women’s basketball not only at the actual games, but online as well. 

“We believe that basketball can be a unifying force – a place where people from all walks of life come together not just to watch a game, but to connect,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. 

“We want our arenas, and our social platforms filled with energy and fandom – not hate and vitriol.”

court

Justin Baldoni’s Legal Team Alleges Blake Lively Tried to Pressure Taylor Swift into Publicly Supporting Her

/in /by

A new legal filing has thrust Taylor Swift into the growing storm surrounding “It Ends With Us,” with actor and director Justin Baldoni’s lawyers alleging that Blake Lively attempted to pressure her longtime best friend into publicly supporting her amid an ongoing legal fight.

Read more

Sexism In Irvine Activision Blizzard Office Leads To Worker Walkout 

/in , /by

Workers at Activision Blizzard, one of the nation’s leading video game companies, staged a one-day walkout at the company’s Irvine office location over alleged sexism in the workplace. This walkout comes just one day after the company announced a number of steps to address this specific issues. 

“We are immediately evaluating managers and leaders across the company. Anyone found to have impeded the integrity of our processes for evaluating claims and imposing appropriate consequences will be terminated.”

Embed from Getty Images

“We will continue to investigate each and every claim and will not hesitate to take decisive action. To strengthen our capabilities in this area we are adding additional senior staff and other resources to both the Compliance team and the Employee Relations team,” Activision continued in a letter addressed to all employees from company CEO Bobby Kotick. 

Activision Blizzard is responsible for launching games such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. The company is currently facing a lawsuit by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges a “frat boy workplace culture that includes sexual harassment of women by executives.”

Current and former employees published their own letter this week detailing the allegations, and calling for “official statements that recognize the seriousness of these allegations and demonstrate compassion for victims of harassment and assault.” 

Kotick responded to this letter with his own, as mentioned above, which outlined new policies that would be put in place to better protect all employees from harassment. 

Embed from Getty Images

“I want to recognize and thank all those who have come forward in the past and in recent days. I so appreciate your courage. Every voice matters and we will do a better job of listening now, and in the future,” Kotick said in a Twitter post.

“Our initial responses to the issues we face together, and to your concerns, were, quite frankly, tone-deaf. It is imperative that we acknowledge all perspectives and experiences and respect the feelings of those who have been mistreated in any way. I am sorry that we did not provide the right empathy and understanding,” he wrote.

“We are taking swift action to be the compassionate, caring company you came to work for and to ensure a safe environment. There is no place anywhere at our company for discrimination, harassment, or unequal treatment of any kind,” the letter said.

“We know many of you have inspired ideas on how to improve our culture. We will be creating safe spaces, moderated by third parties, for you to speak out and share areas for improvement.”

The letter also detailed how the company will be improving on the way they hire employees as well: “Earlier this year I sent an email requiring all hiring managers to ensure they have diverse candidate slates for all open positions. We will be adding compliance resources to ensure that our hiring managers are in fact adhering to this directive.”