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.

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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