Riot Games Executive Resigns Following George Floyd's Comments (Updated)

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Riot Games Executive Resigns Following George Floyd's Comments (Updated)

Update Ron Johnson, a Riot Games executive, has left the company following his comments about the murder of George Floyd this week; a Riot Games spokesperson sent the following statement:

"Ron Johnson is no longer with Riot Games. The sentiments expressed in the images in question are abhorrent and directly contrary to our values and our belief that urgent social change is needed to address systemic racism. As we reported last week, Riot is taking thoughtful and deliberate steps to combat racism and injustice in the communities where we work and live. For starters, we are putting $1 million into areas where we believe we can make an impact, including justice reform, long-term solutions to address racial bias, and support for local black-owned businesses. We are also committed to changing the face of the industry and creating opportunities, such as investing $10 million in under-represented founders to help create a future pipeline of under-represented talent in the gaming and technology world. We know we have a lot of work to do."

Original

A Riot Games executive has been placed on administrative leave and is under internal investigation for sharing and commenting on a Facebook post about George Floyd's murder. Ron Johnson, Riot's global head of consumer products, shared an image yesterday that paired a list of convictions with the claim that "the media and the left have made George Floyd a martyr."

In a post accompanying the image, Johnson blamed Floyd's death on his "criminal lifestyle."

"There is absolutely no reason to condone his murder by a police officer and it still needs to be investigated as a potential crime," he wrote." This is a learning opportunity to teach people (and children) that such a criminal lifestyle will never bring good results for themselves or those around them."

In a statement to Vice, a Riot Games representative confirmed that the company is aware of the post. 'We are aware of the social media post and have initiated an investigation. 'The sentiment of the image is abhorrent, contrary to our values, and directly contrary to our belief that urgent social change is needed to address systemic racism. I will not discuss the details of the investigation or its outcome, but we are closely following the disciplinary process and have placed him on administrative leave pending its conclusion."

Johnson joined Riot Games in January of this year and previously held positions at Disney and Nickelodeon.

Riot Games has previously been accused of gender discrimination and is one of many game publishers and studios that have expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Earlier this week, it pledged $1 million in donations, including to the American Civil Liberties Union.

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