Sony gender discrimination lawsuit dismissed, but plaintiff may file amended complaint
James Batchelor
Editor-in-Chief
Friday 22nd April 2022
Sony Interactive Entertainment
A gender discrimination lawsuit against Sony Interactive Entertainment has been dismissed by a federal judge, but only for now.
The suit was originally filed by a former employee back in November, accusing the company of failing to offer the same career advancement to women as it does to men, violating the Equal Pay Act, and wrongfully terminating her employment.
A court document, spotted by Axios and later reviewed by GamesIndustry.biz, shows that US magistrate judge Laurel Beeler has dismissed most claims in the complaint "because the allegations are mostly conclusory."
Three of the plaintiff's 13 claims have been allowed to continue; those of wrongful termination, whistleblower retaliation, and retaliation under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.
However, because the federal court does not have jurisdiction over state claims, the judge was compelled to dismiss the entire complaint.
The plaintiff has been offered "leave to amend" and granted 28 days to prepare a second complaint that addresses the judge's concerns.
Many of the other claims because the plaintiff "did not plausibly plead" her case, or due to a lack of specifics in her allegations.
For instance, the first claim over wage discrimination was dismissed because the plaintiff "merely recited the elements of the claim and did not allege any specific facts."
"She does not describe her work or how her work was substantially equal to the work of any male allegedly paid more than she was paid," Beeler wrote.
Sony has previously requested for the complaint to be dismissed by the court, but also for the court to "strike the class allegations for the nationwide and California
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