WotC New WotC Statement on Orion Black

[jerryrice4949]

The only one I know of is Theros

For WoTC it was just Theros though perhaps he also worked on the yet to be named final 2020 book. Prior to the WoTC contract it appears they did a couple indie works, link below.

plot ARMOR by Orion D. Black

A one-player ttrpg about the invincibility of your mecha anime PROTAGONIST, until fate claims them.

dungeoncommandr.itch.io

 

[Zardnaar]

Fairly standard reply.

Been a contractor before. Some places are good other places suck with verbal abuse etc.

Some places requested me by name. Nice to be wanted. But yeah I don't go online making a big deal about it.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Fairly standard reply.

Been a contractor before. Some places are good other places suck with verbal abuse etc.

Some places requested me by name. Nice to be wanted. But yeah I don't go online making a big deal about it.

Okay, I get this, but also, have you ever been discriminated against in a work environment because of who you are? I know I haven't. If I had a job that was a hostile environment, but not because the boss is a bad boss and a jerk, but because I was discriminated against because of who I am, I know I would lose it, and so would most people, I think.

We don't know what truly happened, but don't say "I wouldn't do that" or "The way they handled this isn't good" if you haven't had an experience like this before. I want to give WotC the benefit of the doubt, but we don't know enough, it seems.

 

[MGibster]

Okay, I get this, but also, have you ever been discriminated against in a work environment because of who you are? I know I haven't. If I had a job that was a hostile environment, but not because the boss is a bad boss and a jerk, but because I was discriminated against because of who I am, I know I would lose it, and so would most people, I think.

Please be mindful that hostile environment has a specific legal meaning and Orion didn't mention any examples that rise to that level. To establish a hostile work environment, one must demonstrate a pattern of harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability, and more recently (thankfully) sexual orientation and even gender identity. When such harassment rises to the level that a reasonable person would find intolerable, it becomes a hostile work environment.

We don't know what truly happened, but don't say "I wouldn't do that" or "The way they handled this isn't good" if you haven't had an experience like this before. I want to give WotC the benefit of the doubt, but we don't know enough, it seems.

I've seen enough workplace meltdowns to know Orion's original statement wasn't good. And while I gave him the benefit of the doubt thinking their original statement was written in a state of emotion duress, their reply to WotC's apology shows me they're continuing to make bad decisions even when they've cooled off. No, I don't think Orion's handling this very well at all.

 

[Dausuul]

I've seen enough workplace meltdowns to know Orion's original statement wasn't good. And while I gave him the benefit of the doubt thinking their original statement was written in a state of emotion duress, their reply to WotC's apology shows me they're continuing to make bad decisions even when they've cooled off. No, I don't think Orion's handling this very well at all.

Agreed. It's one thing to have a moment where you just blow up and post something in a fury; not professional, not something that should be happening regularly, but okay. It's quite another to come back to it a couple days later and double down. Particularly when somebody inside the company is going to bat for you, and now you're making them look bad.

 

[Zardnaar]

Okay, I get this, but also, have you ever been discriminated against in a work environment because of who you are? I know I haven't. If I had a job that was a hostile environment, but not because the boss is a bad boss and a jerk, but because I was discriminated against because of who I am, I know I would lose it, and so would most people, I think.

We don't know what truly happened, but don't say "I wouldn't do that" or "The way they handled this isn't good" if you haven't had an experience like this before. I want to give WotC the benefit of the doubt, but we don't know enough, it seems.

Yes I've been physically assaulted in a work environment and had death threats involving an ice pick .

In the 90's it was a rough day at work. Hell my ethnic group was specifically called out and insulted by the bosses wife.

 

[Parmandur]

Please be mindful that hostile environment has a specific legal meaning and Orion didn't mention any examples that rise to that level. To establish a hostile work environment, one must demonstrate a pattern of harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability, and more recently (thankfully) sexual orientation and even gender identity. When such harassment rises to the level that a reasonable person would find intolerable, it becomes a hostile work environment.



I've seen enough workplace meltdowns to know Orion's original statement wasn't good. And while I gave him the benefit of the doubt thinking their original statement was written in a state of emotion duress, their reply to WotC's apology shows me they're continuing to make bad decisions even when they've cooled off. No, I don't think Orion's handling this very well at all.

Yeah, I don't think WotC are innocent angels here, and there does seem to be fairly cliquish office politics at work: but, that doesn't mean they are evil either, and the Twitter feeding frenzy is gross.

 

[BigZebra]

Yeah, I don't think WotC are innocent angels here, and there does seem to be fairly cliquish office politics at work: but, that doesn't mean they are evil either, and the Twitter feeding frenzy is gross.

Yeah. I pretty much can’t stand following the D&D community on twitter anymore. It’s totally out of hand and people are acting ridiculous. Seems like there’s no adults in the room.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

I wish WotC spent more time and resources making better products than worrying about it public image.

This whole mess could have been avoided if WotC hadn't made such a big deal about diversity and inclusion when they hired Orion Black as a designer in the first place.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I wish WotC spent more time and resources making better products than worrying about it public image.

This whole mess could have been avoided if WotC hadn't made such a big deal about diversity and inclusion when they hired Orion Black as a designer in the first place.

Why should this mess be avoided? This is exactly the kind of mess that needs to happen so that people begin to understand why change needs to happen and how it should occur.