4 years ago
A Riot Games executive has been put on leave and is under internal investigation after he shared and commented on a Facebook post about the killing of George Floyd.
Ron Johnson, global head of consumer products at Riot, shared an image yesterday that pairs a list of criminal convictions with the claim that "the media and the left [has] made George Floyd into a martyr."
In a post accompanying the image, Johnson blamed Floyd's death on a "criminal lifestyle."
A letter sent by the spokesperson for Riot Games said:
"Ron Johnson is no longer employed at Riot Games. The sentiment expressed in the image in question is abhorrent and runs directly counter to our values and our belief that addressing systemic racism requires immediate societal change, something that we’re committed to working toward.
As we shared last week, Riot is taking thoughtful and deliberate action to help combat racism and injustice in the communities where we work and live.
To start, we’re committing $1 million to areas where we know we can make an impact, including justice reform, long-term solutions to address racial bias, and support for local Black-owned businesses.
We’re also striving to change the face of our industry and create opportunities, including by investing $10 million in founders underrepresented in the games industry and helping create a future pipeline of underrepresented talent for the gaming and tech world.
We know there is much work to be done, and we vow to do our part."
