DC Entertainment Addresses Harassment Issues, Plans to Review and Expand Policies

[Tayswift]

Okay, then I amend my statement: someone who has MULTIPLE allegations of sexual harassment against him is not someone you want on your staff. Its not just the WonderCon incident. Its been multiple allegations, which include a woman who insisted that she was almost raped by a senior employee at DC. Who else could it be besides Berganza? DC wouldn't have a policy of not letting women work in the Superman office (the same office of which Berganza is the line editor) if it was ONLY an incident of him trying to kiss someone who didn't want it.

the senior editor was another guy.

But you are right that it was multiple before wonder con and DC did zero to stop it.

A true inclusion politic include the protection of the diverse talent, if women doesn't work on berganza superman office we have a problem. On Rebirth only have a freelance woman working for them.

[buhbuhbuh1]

Which is something that I don't understand in the slightest. If someone is confirmed as having sexually assaulted a coworker, then that is not someone you want to or should have on your staff.

At my company, that's an automatic grounds for termination. We had one guy let go for harassing several women as soon as it was brought to light. If you are about your employees, you don't put up with this crap.

[MajorHoy]

DC wouldn't have a policy of not letting women work in the Superman office (the same office of which Berganza is the line editor) if it was ONLY an incident of him trying to kiss someone who didn't want it.

Is that OFFICIAL policy, or is just rumored to be?
Does anybody know the ACTUAL answer, or is it just "there are no women working in that office"?

[Hypo]

Yeah, still not seeing "Fire Eddie Berganza" as one of the proposed solutions. F**king Harass always shielding his buddies from the fray. If Nelson were smart, she'd kick both those clowns to the curb.

Unfortunately considering that the incident happened so long ago and that he was apparently punished for it a firing now would just leave DC open to a lawsuit.

[codystarbuck]

Let's hope they are serious and intend to change their culture. When I was a naval officer, the Navy made lip service to preventing sexual harassment, mainly via a rather poorly made film outlining what constituted sexual harassment; mainly via the most obvious examples. It then did nothing. Then, in 1991, at the annual convention of the Tailhook Association (a collective of naval aviators), multiple incidents of sexual harassment and offensive behavior occurred, on a grand scale. A Navy investigation attempted to whitewash the situation. Luckily, officials at the DOD weren't satisfied, though disciplinary actions that followed were minor, at best. As an officer, I sat through a lecture by our base commander, which basically laid the blame for the incidents at the feet of junior officers, ignoring the fact that every incident included superior officers, who set the tone for the happenings. The juniors followed the example set for them by their superiors. Little changed, as repeated news stories about harassment allegations within the military continued to surface.

If DC and Warner want to really make a change, they need to start at the top. Those people tolerated a hostile atmosphere. They are as responsible as the perpetrators. They bear the responsibility for the things that occur under their "watch."

DC isn't a private company; it's a division of a publicly traded conglomerate. It's shareholders need to demand that the company hold its employees to standards, at all levels. Its executives need to carry out that message and live it. Its division heads must live it; everyone right down to the person who empties the waste basket. Until that occurs, change will not occur.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Yeah, still not seeing "Fire Eddie Berganza" as one of the proposed solutions. F**king Harass always shielding his buddies from the fray. If Nelson were smart, she'd kick both those clowns to the curb.

This is the problem having opinions based upon rumors. According to some rumors, Harass was in favor of firing Berganza, but was prevented from doing so. While I am glad that DC is finally addressing these matters publicly and at least claiming to be taking the problem seriously, the only people who actually know what went on at DC are not allowed to speak about it openly. Throwing Harass, Didio or Nelson under the bus seems a little premature because we don't actually know what they have or haven't done to deal with the situation and what legal and/or corporate restrictions they are dealing with.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Let's hope they are serious and intend to change their culture. When I was a naval officer, the Navy made lip service to preventing sexual harassment, mainly via a rather poorly made film outlining what constituted sexual harassment; mainly via the most obvious examples. It then did nothing. Then, in 1991, at the annual convention of the Tailhook Association (a collective of naval aviators), multiple incidents of sexual harassment and offensive behavior occurred, on a grand scale. A Navy investigation attempted to whitewash the situation. Luckily, officials at the DOD weren't satisfied, though disciplinary actions that followed were minor, at best. As an officer, I sat through a lecture by our base commander, which basically laid the blame for the incidents at the feet of junior officers, ignoring the fact that every incident included superior officers, who set the tone for the happenings. The juniors followed the example set for them by their superiors. Little changed, as repeated news stories about harassment allegations within the military continued to surface.

If DC and Warner want to really make a change, they need to start at the top. Those people tolerated a hostile atmosphere. They are as responsible as the perpetrators. They bear the responsibility for the things that occur under their "watch."

DC isn't a private company; it's a division of a publicly traded conglomerate. It's shareholders need to demand that the company hold its employees to standards, at all levels. Its executives need to carry out that message and live it. Its division heads must live it; everyone right down to the person who empties the waste basket. Until that occurs, change will not occur.

Agreed. I hope they are not simply paying lip service to save face, but are actually committed to changing the atmosphere that created these problems.

[RedQueen]

DC should be keeping him away from women, not keeping women away from him. Preventing jobs so he can what? work of the New 52 Superman which has been whack for years?
DC has Rebirth coming up and this story has taken over it so they need to do serious PR.

[Soldy]

Either way Sup's office needs a new editor, because Berganza is just bad at his job.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Either way Sup's office needs a new editor, because Berganza is just bad at his job.

That's a different issue from sexual harassment, then. On paper, he's made a lot of money for DC. That's his job and he's apparently done a good enough job that he can't be fired for his performance as an editor, which was why Shelly Bond lost her job. Whether or not you like what he's done as an editor is irrelevant to sexual harassment. That is the issue, otherwise you are trivializing the importance of a healthy workplace for everyone

[Outside_85]

Getting rid of Eddie at this stage shouldn't be hard, they could just cover it under a restructuring move his job strangely just dissapeared and DC couldn't find a new spot for him.

Sadly I agree with the poster who noted Harras protecting his buddies... and in a way thats equally as bad, and actually I think Harras could be demoted or sacked as well because it's effectively because of him Eddie has been allowed to continue this kind of behavior and retain a position of authority within the company.

[brandnewfan]

I don't mean to discount the severity of what he did, but it's also a big deal when certain talent turns down job offers for the sole reason of being scared to work with him.

[ThomasBlake]

It is embarrassing that the company that owns Superman, Wonder Woman, the Justice League, and so many other iconic properties is also the one that actively employs sexual harassers (Berganza is not the only one they have) to their company. It's even more telling that they keep these individuals employed despite their presence making DC an unsafe place to work in for everyone. The people who get harmed along the way are not just women, but ultimately the company itself when both industry professionals and customers decide to cut ties with them. I really don't understand the value DC sees in someone like Eddie Berganza when he is neither competent at his job nor an individual that respectable editors and creators want to work with. The fact that Berganza is a repeat sexual harasser (as in WonderCon was not the only incident) means that legally he should not still be employed by the company. It is also illegal for a company not to employ women as a way of avoiding liability lawsuits.

If both Warner Bros and DC Entertainment are serious about revising their HR policy on sexual harassment, they need to begin by removing Berganza and other harmful individuals from their company and develop better hiring practice. Sexual harassers are never an asset to any company, they a major liability. If their reason for keeping him after dealing with his sexual offences internally is "he makes money for the company," I have to disagree with that as well. To start with, I wouldn't equate Superman's relatively "high" sales to Berganza's competence as an editor, as much as the fact that Superman is an iconic character and is always going to draw a larger audience. Even then, the entire Superman line has been selling below what is considered normal for the character (he should be selling as much as Batman), and if you look at the other books Berganza is/was in charge of (Earth-2, Teen Titans, and Wonder Woman), those books are also selling below where they should be selling. Add the fact that he has taken ALL of these properties in very damaging directions is not symptomatic of an editor who is actually good at his job.

Given all that's stacked against Berganza, there is literally no reason for DC to keep him employed. It must ultimately boil down to the fact that he's very good pals with the people in charge, because value as an employee? He has none.

[Fuzzy Barbarian]

Seriously, what does Eddie Berganza have on whoever's keeping him around?!

It wouldn't even be hard to save face when getting rid of him. Just say it's part of the Rebirth restructuring or something. Seriously sad that DC let this shitty working environment continue for so long without a word.

[NexusTenebrare]

It is embarrassing that the company that owns Superman, Wonder Woman, the Justice League, and so many other iconic properties is also the one that actively employs sexual harassers (Berganza is not the only one they have) to their company.

You say that as if there aren't people currently working at Marvel who have also been accused of sexual harassement.
People keep making this a DC issue, but it's appearantly much bigger than that.
Funny how I only ever see people going after DC for it though.