illustration communication servicepixiv]pixiv Inc.On May 27, a transgender female employee who works for the company filed an oral argument once morest the company and her former male boss for a total of 5.55 million yen in damages, alleging that she had been continuously harassed at work. was on September 8 at the Tokyo District Court (Judge Yuichiro Yamada).
Pixiv did not contest, but took the procedure of “acknowledgment” of the plaintiff’s claim in full and indicated its intention to pay the full amount of the claim. On the other hand, the ex-boss submitted a written answer partly disputing the facts and asked the plaintiff to dismiss the claim.
The lawsuit with the company is expected to be closed, according to the plaintiff’s attorney. It is said that he will continue to fight once morest his former boss, adding compensation claims such as lost profits and additional medical expenses during the leave period.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff joined Pixiv in April 2018. Immediately following joining the company, her ex-boss asked her how many times she had sex, pressed her face once morest her genitals, and said things like, “Why are you dressed as a woman? You’re an idiot. You’re a man.” It is said that he received harassment such as being put on.
The plaintiff consulted with a lawyer in charge of sexual harassment within the company. The company promised to take measures such as not putting the former boss in the same department as the plaintiff and not letting him participate in drinking parties in the company, but it was said that he failed. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and filed a lawsuit in May, claiming that he had violated his obligation to take care of his workplace environment.
Harassment related to sexual orientation and gender identity is called “SOGI harassment.” Due to the enforcement of the revised power harassment prevention law in June 2020, corporate responses to SOGI have changed.became a legal obligation。
At a press conference at the time of filing the lawsuit, the plaintiff said, “There are many LGBTQ people who suffer from harassment.”Regarding his thoughts on the trial, he said, “Sometimes I feel that the word harassment has softened the weight of the harassment. It is wrong to make fun of someone’s sexuality or put their hands in their underwear. I want you to spread awareness.”was talking。
◆ “Thanks to the people who raised their voices.”
Pixiv posted on its official page on September 8, “We have fully accepted and acknowledged our responsibility for the plaintiff’s claims.”publication. “We will take thorough measures to prevent harassment and strive to create a sound organization so that similar incidents will not occur in the future,” he said.
Shun Nakaoka, the plaintiff’s attorney, said following the argument that day, “Pixiv acknowledged that harassment prevention was inadequate, and that the act that the plaintiff received was an unforgivable act that deeply hurt the character of the plaintiff, and apologized. I will,” explained. “Although it’s too late, I’m positive that we’ve seen improvements in initiatives to address the human rights of LGBT and other diverse people and sexual harassment,” he said.
After the lawsuit was reported, criticism of pixiv gathered on the Internet. It is said that there was no sincere response from Pixiv until it developed into a lawsuit. I am deeply grateful for this,” he said.
The plaintiff also said, “There are many posts on SNS that speak for my thoughts, and I am very grateful.” I feel that it is expensive. I hope that this lawsuit will help those who are suffering now.”
The plaintiff also issued a statement on the same daypublicationdid. The full text is below.
