A former HR manager from Bungie is suing the developer for "retaliation and wrongful termination" after she notified her supervisor about racial bias, according to IGN's report.
Ingrid Alms joined Bungie in 2022, but a few months later, she was told to investigate an employee going by the name "James Smith." When Alms spoke with him, he said he was the only Black employee out of the team of 50 people and felt racially targeted by his supervisor. According to IGN, Alms alleges that her recommendation to provide Smith's supervisor diversity training faced "hostility and denial” by her own supervisor. She adds that her supervisor denied her because of the seniority and stature of Smith's supervisor.
The IGN report details conversations between Alms, her supervisor, and Bungie's director of equity and inclusion. Essentially, Bungie wanted to fire Smith, but Alms said that it would be considered racial bias to do so. Alms alleges that seeking advice from the director of equity and inclusion made her supervisor angry and that after receiving a negative review, she was suddenly cut from Bungie. The complaint also claims that she didn't voluntarily resign.
Bungie publicly shares its efforts at creating an inclusive workplace through initiatives like Black at Bungie, but Alms's claims are alarming. IGN says that Bungie's statement denies Alm's complaint without providing additional context. It also reports that Alms was hired a few months after IGN covered Bungie's work culture, which revealed racial and gender bias at the company.
