The University of Michigan has no plans to return a $4 million donation from Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, despite the allegations that he hid reports of sexual misconduct and rape within the company while on the board. Kotick, who is a Michigan alum, donated the money earlier this year to help the school jumpstart its esports program.
“Acceptance of gifts from any individual does not mean the university agrees with the individual’s opinions or actions,” said University Spokesman Rick Fitzgerald while emphasizing in an email that the school condemns all forms of sexual misconduct. “The important work related to this donation continues.”
The university said at the time that the $4 million gift would be used to help endow a professor position to lead the school’s new esports program, being built within Michigan’s School of Information. The school said it hoped to fill that position by the end of 2021-22, with plans to let students minor in esports by the 2022-23 school year.
Activision-Blizzard has, for months, been dealing with multiple regulatory investigations into alleged sexual assaults and harassment of female employees. Kotick has been directly implicated for allegedly knowing about workplace misconduct but failing to inform the board. The board of directors later said in a statement that it was “confident” that Kotick appropriately addressed workplace issues brought to his attention.
(All information was provided by Sportico)
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