After a former employee sued Tecmo, claiming that Dead Or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki sexually harassed her, Tecmo has responded following an internal investigation.
After a one month investigation, Tecmo has released a statement claiming that the former employee’s allegations are false and that Tomonobu Itagaki will institute a countersuit due to the defamation.
As previously reported, the unnamed female employees claimed Itagaki cornered her a number of times and groped her both at work and at last year’s E3. After the investigation, Tecmo has concluded that the sexual contact was mutual and the employee’s lawsuit was “the former employee’s desire to vent frustrations over her own personal affairs, and not indicative of sexual harassment.” Tecmo also claims that they did not fire the employee due to the complaints, that she in fact resigned while the company worked to find a more suitable working environment.
Despite their findings, Tecmo has already demoted Itagaki and other employees involved for improper behavior and mingling personal affairs with their corporate responsibilities. The lawsuit continues with Tecmo’s first chance to refute the claims coming up in the second hearing.
Itagaki’s latest game, Dead Or Alive Xtreme 2 is on shelves now.
