Rocksteady Studios Tackle Sexual Harassment Allegations Amid Big 'Suicide Squad' Reveal

Rocksteady Studios is on the hot seat as sexual harassment allegations were hurled against the company through a letter signed by more than half of its female employees.

The November 2018 letter was signed by 10 of the studio's 16 female staff at the time and complained about disturbing behaviors towards the LGBT community, “discussing a woman in a derogatory or sexual manner with other colleagues,” sexual harassment through “unwanted advancement, “leering at parts of a woman's body” and “inappropriate comments in the office.

One of the alleged victims, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Guardian that the letter was kept private because of Rocksteady's penchant for secrecy. In addition, staff members were afraid that they might be left out when the studio unveils “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League” should they come out in public with the allegations.

The game is scheduled to be revealed by the studio at DC FanDome on August 22 alongside WB Montreal's long-rumored “Gotham Knights.”

The anonymous employee said she has “heard everything” from groping claims to incidents involving the male-centric senior staff of Rocksteady Studios. Despite the allegations, the company only conducted one “company-wide seminar that lasted an hour” and that everyone who attended was asked to sign a statement confirming that they have attended.

A Rocksteady Studios spokesperson said they have received the 2018 letter and claimed that they immediately took “firm measures” to address the allegations. As a result, the company “carefully listened to and learned” from their employees for the next two years and cooperated with them so that they feel supported.

After the report by The Guardian, Rocksteady Studios issued a statement and said that they are working on their response regarding the allegations. The studio also shared a letter on Twitter, saying that it was a “voluntary response” from seven of the 10 signatories of the 2018 letter, said IGN.

Rocksteady's letter echoed the claims of its spokesperson, saying that “immediate action” was initiated to address the situation. This resulted in a series of meetings with women employees and it allowed both parties to create a “safe space” for them to tackle the issue.

But while Rocksteady claimed that “continued efforts” are being made, they felt that their privacy has been violated since the letter was sent to The Guardian without their consent.

“We feel that our privacy and wishes have been disregarded and a private matter has been made public. This has left us feeling that we have been violated by the source or sources as it was kept private for personal reasons to all involved, not due to industry secrecy,” read the letter.