IGDA under fire over botched handling of harassment controversy
pcgamer.comA report by GamesIndustry.biz shed light on the bullying and harassment allegedly carried out by former IGDA Women in Games Special Interest Group chair Jennifer Scheurle, as well as the IGDA's unwillingness to meaningfully censure Scheurle in a timely fashion.
A group of developers filed an initial complaint with the IGDA Foundation (the charitable wing of the organization) in 2019, alleging a «history of deception, bullying, defamation, and abuse,» in a 16-page document describing and cataloging Scheurle's behavior. This complaint was ultimately dismissed by the IGDA Foundation, but not before a friend and supporter of Scheurle contacted one of the accusers with knowledge of the report, indicating a breach of confidentiality within the organization regarding the complaint.
The complainants next brought their case to the IGDA itself—Scheurle had been involved with both the Foundation and the professional association. A group of 14 complainants against Scheurle and six supporters lodged this 34-page formal complaint in September of 2020, alleging «multiple counts of personal abuse and professional breaches carried out by Jennifer Scheurle between the period of 2017 and 2020.» Both the 2019 and 2020 complaints paint a picture of harassment, stolen credit, and other professional misconduct by Scheurle.
The IGDA's formal policy for responding to harassment complaints outlines a seven-step formal process for responding to allegations like these, and does not seem to have been followed in Scheurle's case. As these allegations spread and gained traction, Scheurle was removed from consideration for a 2020 Game Dev Hero award, as well as inclusion in the Game Awards' Future Class of 2021. Scheurle stepped down from her IGDA
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