French court convicts ex-Ubisoft bosses for workplace harassment
Briefly

A French court has sentenced three former Ubisoft executives to suspended prison terms due to their involvement in a culture of sexual and psychological harassment. Thomas Francois received a three-year suspended sentence for attempted sexual assault and other inappropriate behaviors. Serge Hascoet was sentenced to 18 months for psychological harassment and complicity in sexual harassment. Guillaume Patrux received a 12-month suspended sentence for lesser harassment. The court imposed fines on all three, with Ubisoft facing wider scrutiny following investigations into these claims.
Thomas Francois, a former editorial vice president who was convicted on a charge of attempted sexual assault, received the heaviest sentence of a suspended three-year term. The court heard that Francois would greet employees using inappropriate names, attempt to touch people's genitals as part of a so-called 'game', and try to kiss male employees by surprise. He testified that he 'lacked perspective' during the incidents from 2012 to 2020.
Former chief creative officer Serge Hascoet was given an 18-month suspended sentence for psychological harassment and complicity in sexual harassment. Hascoet claimed he was unaware of the harassment occurring outside of his glass office, but he also instructed his female assistants to perform personal tasks for him, justifying the behavior as typical 'seen in movies'.
Read at The Local France
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