Latest news with #Francois
Business Times
7 hours ago
- General
- Business Times
Ex-Ubisoft executive on trial denies seeing office harassment
[BOBIGNY, France] A former executive at French video game giant Ubisoft, on trial with two others for alleged sexual and psychological harassment of employees, denied on Tuesday witnessing any abuse in the office. Serge Hascoet, the company's former chief creative officer, said that he had been unaware of incidents that prompted several employees to complain of regular public humiliation and hazing. He said he never heard any sexist or homophobic remarks or insults, but after hours of questioning admitted making some 'misplaced' comments with sexual connotations to women employees. Overall, the atmosphere in Ubisoft's open-plan offices in the eastern Paris suburb of Montreuil was 'studious and focused on work', Hascoet insisted, although he said that 'water fights' did break out 'when it got hot'. Hascoet, in his 60s, is on trial with the company's former vice-president of editorial and creative services, Thomas Francois, and former game director Guillaume Patrux. All three were dismissed for serious misconduct following an internal inquiry in 2020, and all three deny the claims made against them. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Francois is the focus of the most damning claims of systematic psychological and sexual harassment over years, including watching pornographic films in the office and commented on women employees' appearance. He allegedly forced one skirt-wearing employee to do a headstand and drew on her face with a felt-tip pen before forcing her to attend a meeting. Francois is additionally being prosecuted for an attempted sexual assault. Hascoet is accused of lewd behaviour and posing intrusive questions of a sexual nature, as well as racist comments and behaviour. Asked about the felt-pen allegation involving Francois, Hascoet said: 'I don't remember that episode at all.' When the court's judge asked about another incident, in which Hascet's company male assistant - known for selling drugs - brandished a knife to a woman employee, the ex-chief creative officer said 'I don't know' how the victim took the armed threat against her. In Monday's hearing, several women who worked under Hascoet testified that he made them run personal errands for him, including picking up his daughter from school. Hascoet said he was forced to give such orders because of lengthy meetings, and because his wife was suffering from incurable cancer. AFP
The Star
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
French court tries ex-bosses of Ubisoft over sex harassment
Serge Hascoët, former creative director of Ubisoft, exits the courtroom after the trial of French video game publisher Ubisoft Entertainment former executives for harrasment and sexual assault at the courthouse in Bobigny, suburb of Paris, on June 2, 2025. — AFP PARIS: Three former top executives from French video game giant Ubisoft, the maker of Assassin's Creed and Far Cry , went on trial on June 2 accused of psychologically and sexually harassing employees for years. The trial, to last until June 6, was supposed to be held in March but was adjourned after lawyers complained they received some documents too late. The industry has been scrutinised for years over its treatment of women and minorities in the workplace – and the way they are depicted in games. Ubisoft launched an internal inquiry in 2020 after anonymous testimonies emerged on social media accusing the company of a toxic work culture. Several senior executives later left the firm. The executive shake-up at Ubisoft was hailed by some as a #Metoo moment in the male-dominated video game publishing industry, which has faced criticism for misogynistic imagery often found in games. One of the accused, Serge Hascoet, resigned from his post as chief creative officer. The other two – Thomas "Tommy" Francois, vice-president of editorial and creative services, and game director Guillaume Patrux – were dismissed for serious misconduct. All three men deny the claims. Hascoet and Francois arrived at the Bobigny court outside Paris on Monday morning. Employees had complained of regular public humiliation and hazing. Francois is the focus of the most damning claims of systematic psychological and sexual harassment at the company's offices in the eastern Paris suburb of Montreuil. Between January 2012 and July 2020, Francois is alleged to have often watched pornographic films in the open-plan office and commented on the appearance of female employees. Headstand in a skirt Francois was also accused of forcing a young employee he had just hired to do a headstand in the open-plan office while wearing a skirt. He is also accused of tying the same woman to a chair and putting her in an elevator, sending her to another floor. He also allegedly forced her to attend a work meeting after he painted her face with a felt-tip pen. In addition to the accusations of sexual and psychological harassment, Francois is being prosecuted for an attempted sexual assault when he tried to forcibly kiss a young employee during a Christmas party as she was held by other colleagues. According to an investigative report seen by AFP, Francois encouraged "his subordinates to act in the same way". Hascoet is accused of lewd behaviour and posing intrusive questions of a sexual nature, as well as racist comments and behaviour. The third defendant, former game director Patrux, 39, has been accused of psychological harassment. Investigators spoke to dozens of witnesses during the probe, but "many refused to file a complaint for fear of reactions from the video game community," according to the report seen by AFP. – AFP
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
French court tries ex-bosses of Ubisoft over sex harassment
Three former top executives from French video game giant Ubisoft, the maker of "Assassin's Creed" and "Far Cry", went on trial on Monday accused of psychologically and sexually harassing employees for years. The trial, to last until Friday, was supposed to be held in March but was adjourned after lawyers complained they received some documents too late. The industry has been scrutinised for years over its treatment of women and minorities in the workplace -- and the way they are depicted in games. Ubisoft launched an internal inquiry in 2020 after anonymous testimonies emerged on social media accusing the company of a toxic work culture. Several senior executives later left the firm. The executive shake-up at Ubisoft was hailed by some as a #Metoo moment in the male-dominated video game publishing industry, which has faced criticism for misogynistic imagery often found in games. One of the accused, Serge Hascoet, resigned from his post as chief creative officer. The other two -- Thomas "Tommy" Francois, vice-president of editorial and creative services, and game director Guillaume Patrux -- were dismissed for serious misconduct. All three men deny the claims. Hascoet and Francois arrived at the Bobigny court outside Paris on Monday morning. Employees had complained of regular public humiliation and hazing. Francois is the focus of the most damning claims of systematic psychological and sexual harassment at the company's offices in the eastern Paris suburb of Montreuil. Between January 2012 and July 2020, Francois is alleged to have often watched pornographic films in the open-plan office and commented on the appearance of female employees. - Headstand in a skirt - Francois was also accused of forcing a young employee he had just hired to do a headstand in the open-plan office while wearing a skirt. He is also accused of tying the same woman to a chair and putting her in an elevator, sending her to another floor. He also allegedly forced her to attend a work meeting after he painted her face with a felt-tip pen. In addition to the accusations of sexual and psychological harassment, Francois is being prosecuted for an attempted sexual assault when he tried to forcibly kiss a young employee during a Christmas party as she was held by other colleagues. According to an investigative report seen by AFP, Francois encouraged "his subordinates to act in the same way". Hascoet is accused of lewd behaviour and posing intrusive questions of a sexual nature, as well as racist comments and behaviour. Following deadly jihadist attacks in Paris in 2015, he allegedly asked a Muslim employee if she agreed with the ideas of the Islamic State group. The woman had her computer desktop background changed to images of bacon sandwiches and food was placed on her desk during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. The third defendant, former game director Patrux, 39, has been accused of psychological harassment. Investigators spoke to dozens of witnesses during the probe, but "many refused to file a complaint for fear of reactions from the video game community," according to the report seen by AFP. amb-bur/ah/sjw/jxb
France 24
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
French court tries ex-bosses of Ubisoft over sex harassment
The trial, to last until Friday, was supposed to be held in March but was adjourned after lawyers complained they received some documents too late. The industry has been scrutinised for years over its treatment of women and minorities in the workplace -- and the way they are depicted in games. Ubisoft launched an internal inquiry in 2020 after anonymous testimonies emerged on social media accusing the company of a toxic work culture. Several senior executives later left the firm. The executive shake-up at Ubisoft was hailed by some as a #Metoo moment in the male-dominated video game publishing industry, which has faced criticism for misogynistic imagery often found in games. One of the accused, Serge Hascoet, resigned from his post as chief creative officer. The other two -- Thomas "Tommy" Francois, vice-president of editorial and creative services, and game director Guillaume Patrux -- were dismissed for serious misconduct. All three men deny the claims. Hascoet and Francois arrived at the Bobigny court outside Paris on Monday morning. Employees had complained of regular public humiliation and hazing. Francois is the focus of the most damning claims of systematic psychological and sexual harassment at the company's offices in the eastern Paris suburb of Montreuil. Between January 2012 and July 2020, Francois is alleged to have often watched pornographic films in the open-plan office and commented on the appearance of female employees. Headstand in a skirt Francois was also accused of forcing a young employee he had just hired to do a headstand in the open-plan office while wearing a skirt. He is also accused of tying the same woman to a chair and putting her in an elevator, sending her to another floor. He also allegedly forced her to attend a work meeting after he painted her face with a felt-tip pen. In addition to the accusations of sexual and psychological harassment, Francois is being prosecuted for an attempted sexual assault when he tried to forcibly kiss a young employee during a Christmas party as she was held by other colleagues. According to an investigative report seen by AFP, Francois encouraged "his subordinates to act in the same way". Hascoet is accused of lewd behaviour and posing intrusive questions of a sexual nature, as well as racist comments and behaviour. Following deadly jihadist attacks in Paris in 2015, he allegedly asked a Muslim employee if she agreed with the ideas of the Islamic State group. The woman had her computer desktop background changed to images of bacon sandwiches and food was placed on her desk during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. The third defendant, former game director Patrux, 39, has been accused of psychological harassment.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
NJ nun tweeted at Trump every day in first term. Why she's changed her tune this time
Every day of Donald Trump's first term, Sister Susan Francois tweeted out a prayer addressed to the president, a ritual that earned the North Jersey nun scores of social media followers and national headlines. In almost 1,500 posts to @POTUS, the nun from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in Englewood Cliffs prayed for him to "grow in humility" and "follow the light of compassion." As a registered Democrat involved with social justice activism, the Jersey City resident admits that praying publicly for this commander-in-chief was the "hardest spiritual practice" of her life. After all, she noted in a 2021 interview, "it's easy to pray for people you love." For others, it's a tad harder. But after Trump ended his first administration, she decided she was done. She managed to tweet out a few invocations for President Joe Biden, a fellow Catholic, but not as regularly. Neither leader responded to her electronic entreaties. Four years later, Trump is back in the Oval Office and as pugilistic and controversial as ever. Twitter is now X, owned by the president's political ally Elon Musk, and Sister Susan has mostly abandoned her one-way conversation. She's not tweeting prayers, or any other messages, at Trump, opting instead for what she hopes is more constructive online engagement. Does this mean there's no hope for spiritual redemption for the current occupant of the White House? "I never give up on the human person," Francois said in a recent interview. "Nobody is beyond repair." The 52-year-old has grown concerned over the "toxic nature of our public discourse," which has only intensified in her view. "That's something I don't want to contribute to," she said. "There's so much brokenness in the world now. We need positive messages." She will continue to pray for America's elected leaders offline. "It's in our Sunday liturgy," she noted. Francois, who previously worked as a city elections official in Portland, Oregon, said she was inspired to begin praying for the president after his January 2017 inauguration. Her motivation was largely to maintain her own sense of well-being, but the tweets were also a form of resistance during a politically chaotic period, she said. If Trump was aware of her prayers, he never responded. But that wasn't the point. Praying was helpful and transformative for her at a time of upheaval in America, she said. Francois was a lapsed Catholic who returned to religion in her 20s as she began to see a connection between the faith of her childhood and the social justice that became a major part of her life during college. She began attending Mass again in 1999 and joined the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in 2005. Its founding mission to promote peace through justice resonated with her, she said. Many of the sisters, like Francois, lobby for legislation and help marginalized communities. She recently posted a clip on TikTok about the importance of shareholder advocacy and "using investments in companies to ask them to do things for the common good." She also writes to legislators about policies that are meaningful to her and attends protests, such as a recent "Hands Off" rally against Trump's and Musk's second-term agenda. More: Bergen County rabbi will speak at Trump's inauguration. Who is Ari Berman? Though her prayers may not have sparked change in the White House, they affected her own spiritual life. Even the tone of her tweets has changed, sounding more tender. Initially, her messages were more policy-based and addressed Trump personally. "Dear @POTUS," she posted on Dec. 7, 2018. "664 days later still praying experience goodness and kindness in your own life and choose to do good and be kind in return. It can be habit forming." She often beseeched the 45th (and now 47th) president to find peace. Now she's less likely to confront the president directly over a disagreement and instead makes more general appeals for kindness and engagement. "May we be good to ourselves and one another on the long road ahead," she counseled in a Jan. 26 tweet, just days after Trump returned to office. Over the years, Francois said, she has been able to recognize the humanity behind the person issuing the edicts from the White House. She sees her prayerful activism as a lesson in how we should behave toward others, particularly those with whom we vehemently disagree. "Occasionally I get people who write a not-nice comment, but I try not to engage, because that's not helpful," she said. "Instead, I try to build up community and make people realize we have agency to do good." These days, she's not as active on X and is mostly on Bluesky, Facebook and TikTok. She frequently posts about the goodness of humankind and the need for everyone to love one another. "Those kinds of messages have an audience," she said in a recent interview with The Record and "That's what I feel called to do in the universe." "Every person is beloved by God, from the person trapped in a detention center to the person writing orders to hold the person there," Francois said. This article originally appeared on NJ nun tweeted prayers at Trump daily. Why she's changed tune
