She's only been there since October/November. Is that enough time to drastically alter anything?
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Jennifer Scheurle (chair of IGDA Women in Games SIG) accused of emotional abuse and manipulation (UPDATE: Scheurle apologizes)
- Thread starter Syriel
- Start date
really crazy. she's been such an outspoken advocate for so many good things - at least performatively
god almighty
well that milk soured within a few hours
god almighty
saw it pop live.This tweet didn't age well, if the allegations are true.
well that milk soured within a few hours
Likely they wouldn't have any idea about the past investigation, probably handled by an intern or some thing. It's also amazing how often companies drop the ball if they have any kind of internal turnover, not to say it's an excuse, in fact it's the exact opposite, but I wonder if the person investigating these things has been the same or if they rotate through them. Either way it's a bad look and a lack of due diligence.
Uff. Why can't this industry be a positive space? It shouldn't be this hard to hold people responsible..
She tweeted once asking if any game devs were from working class backgrounds. The question itself is whatever, but it seems to reveal she's from a more privileged background. And maybe it's more of a North America thing (she's German I believe, but has worked around the world), but I'd say the answer is very clearly yes. Like if you spend time with people in the game industry it's clear that a lot of game devs have working class parents, and many even worked blue collar jobs for years before taking a risk and changing careers. But you do often see people in positions of power in the industry from more privileged backgrounds - both in terms of identity and economics. It's especially wealthy white men, but also wealthy white women. It's like they leapfrog by having more education and a wider safety net. There are also other factors like different salary expectations (different ideas of what "decent pay" looks like) and the ability to easily relocate. And the unfortunate truth is that many of the women taking leadership in improving representation in the industry are wealthy and white, leading to blindspots in their approaches and cases like this where they're not all they say they are.
Jesus christ one hundred and twenty pages? Someone is being screamed at savagely literally right now about this very report I imagine lol
I wouldn't be surprised if those accounts might be given a different light now.
I'm sure. But that's my point essentially; the social media reps should in no way be engaging with these. It should be someone up the chain so as the avoid the obvious complication that would come from a former employee stating their harassment and the organization doing the usual PR lip service and made to look stupid because the person paid to babysit Twitter isn't going to be able to properly respond to someone tossing up a handful of emails highlighting the companies complacency (among other things) in the situation.
I've generally found that people who network as broadly as she does and are outspoken about every single little thing tend to be fake. It's easy to retweet good stuff and create this illusion that you care. It's much harder to delve deeply into shit through actual conversation which she has never appeared to be about. I also think there's someone else she retweets often who she seems buddy buddy with who's probably in the same boat if I had to guess. I'll leave it at that.
OP
OP
Yeah, that wasn't just dropping a few receipts. That was unloading a dump truck of history on that social media coordinator.
It is disappointing to know that IGDA was aware of complaints/issues since 2018 and nothing seems to have been done. An advocacy org should be helping those it advocates for.
A former vice chair of the WIG SIG says she was never told of any allegations.
It should be noted that the accused in that second tweet has denied that accusation and has said they will take legal action for slander.
Will see how that one plays out. Both parties in that second tweet are calling each other abusers which is always messy.
i'll just say that in this case, the person i've heard stories from is a junior, and it's a big ask of them to have their identity in the industry defined by another person, especially on the local scale. i can sympathise.
I'm sure she believes all those things. Progressive ideologies don't preclude someone from being abusive or narcissistic, though. Going through her social media she strikes me as a major narcissist at heart.
Yeah. I also find it interesting that the 2nd accuser claims they have worked in the industry for 7+ years and "every single one" of their bosses was abusive. I don't know how many people their actually talking about, nor saying it didn't happen -- but it does give me pause.
Jennifer got a pretty strong following and is very good at deflecting.
I hope something happens, but I doubt it.
I hope something happens, but I doubt it.
Imagine getting 120 pages of evidence and testimony about someone's behavior, and not doing anything about it.
A hard lesson for many that the existence and behaviour of predatory narcissists is not mutually exclusive with progressive, inclusive scenes and spaces, and that the language, opportunities, and networking these environments afford can be just as readily weaponised and exploited by manipulators against the marginalised people that need this support.
Withholding judgement in situations like this is important, but in the same breath; where there's smoke there's usually fire. And having multiple allegations of manipulation and abuse, including evidence of attempts to report and file complaints, is not a good look.
Withholding judgement in situations like this is important, but in the same breath; where there's smoke there's usually fire. And having multiple allegations of manipulation and abuse, including evidence of attempts to report and file complaints, is not a good look.
I've had her muted for a while now even though she follows me. The things she says and how she says them really didn't sit well for me for many reasons. Unfortunately, nice people I work and have worked with do follow her and give value to her words, hopefully it all comes to light soon enough though.
Absolutely shameful of the IGDA as well.
Absolutely shameful of the IGDA as well.
There's just too many assholes in positions of power out there. The dark triad climbing career ladders. But this is also a failure of the IDGA as an organization. This should've been addressed years ago. Why wasn't it? Hopefully there will be sufficient course correction.
I don't know much about her but yikes.
This is a really bad look, you'd hjave thought someone would check before making a comment like that. Complete misfire and really worrying if they had all that evidence and didn't act on it. Heads needs to roll
This is a really bad look, you'd hjave thought someone would check before making a comment like that. Complete misfire and really worrying if they had all that evidence and didn't act on it. Heads needs to roll
"120 pages of evidence. I don't know what else you need. We were trying to do the right thing and quietly remove Jennifer from the places she could do harm in without being messy or publicly ruining her life. But no one fucking listens, so here we are."
This is the context needed if anyone thinks this is only being brought up now because she was nominated for an award.
Removing my comments here because some people do not understand boundaries.
The paperwork cinches it for me here. The story resonated and I believed - but that's a mic drop and I'm glad the accuser has protection.
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This is abysmal if true. I hate abusers but the fact that IGDA did nothing about it after multiple complains and a literal pile of evidence was flung their way makes the situation so much worse.
My biggest concern right now is for Noni Och who came forward with this. I'm glad she got backup from others and I hope it's enough to not put their life in further jeopardy.
Please remember everyone: the answer to abuse is not abuse, it's accountability. Do not harass anyone. Do not harass.
My biggest concern right now is for Noni Och who came forward with this. I'm glad she got backup from others and I hope it's enough to not put their life in further jeopardy.
Please remember everyone: the answer to abuse is not abuse, it's accountability. Do not harass anyone. Do not harass.
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This is key to all this. Noni needs help to not get harassed, and Jennifer needs to be held accountable, not harassed.
Agreed. Having worked with people who post/share a lot (in the way she does) versus people who don't post/share much, there seems to be a very clear divide between them. Even just in terms of their vibe in person and how they approach conversations and topics.
I like to think I'm someone who's fairly switched on, but that involves doing the reading and work as you say, and when you do that you realise a) how difficult and nuanced every subject is, and b) how coming into any conversation forcefully could be inappropriate on multiple levels. So it makes more sense to listen more than you speak, saving your speech for when something needs actively called out, challenged or escalated.
People like Scheurle seem to be the antithesis of this. Don't do the deep dive work, but espouse forcefully in public on the reg. Even if the heart is in the right place, it's a superficial and dangerous way to operate.
This is the way. 100%
Good point to make about not meeting abuse with abuse but it's also something we can't control when things go public and we have to be ok with that, but also important to give those warnings.
It's already happening, unfortunately. There are too many people salivating in the wings, waiting for the chance to jump on people, and then outside that ring are all the folks nodding sagely about how they "knew all along," which simply adds to it. IGDA could have prevented part of this by just... doing their due diligence when they got the initial complaints. But if it all has to happen in public in order to get action, harassment will follow.
No, I don't think we have to be okay with it. I think we need to make sure the IGDA knows this is partially their fault and they need to be held accountable.
I don't need you to explain social media or behavior on platforms to me. I really wish people on Era wouldn't default to doing that as though it's a replacement for conversation. It isn't.
We agree we don't have to be okay with harassment and that the IGDA are at fault.
We agree we don't have to be okay with harassment and that the IGDA are at fault.
Removed from Future Class
In her statement she's said she's stepped away from IGDA and other roles. She mentions IGDA might have been wanting to dismiss the claims, which is bold to do after what they did back in 2019. They really seem like an awful organisation. At least she can admit she caused harm.
Jennifer Scheurle apologizes
