Former Rockstar Designer Says Former Top Executive Groped Him

When Colin Bundschu first started at Rockstar Games in November of 2014, he says his new colleagues offered a warning: Don’t cross Jeronimo Barrera. Barrera, the vice president of product development, would often fly in from New York to visit Rockstar’s offices in Carlsbad, California, where they were all working on the Western game Red Dead Redemption 2. Bundschu was told to be cautious when Barrera came to town. Mind how you talk to him, multiple coworkers and managers said. Barrera, one of Rockstar’s top executives, had a reputation for screaming at people, and there were rumors that he had shouted at staff who’d rubbed him the wrong way, telling them they were fired.

[traumadisaster]

Management should not be partying with staff, such an easy solution. If you are the employee you say I’ve got a sick aunt I care for every day and can’t go out. Give little details of your personal life.

As a manager you need your own friends, not staff after hours.

[rainslacker]

Or, as an employee, just say you don't want to go if you don't. If a manager gets mad at that, there is probably someone above them, and R* is a huge company with real HR people that have hard line rules about staying in line with the law on what's acceptable for termination, so there would be recourse if even a top executive decided he didn't like you not attending.

No need to make stuff up.

Otherwise, I agree with what you say. Management and staff should be separate. You can mingle together, but they should always be at office events, not with selected members.

[traumadisaster]

If you read the article it makes it clear HR was compromised. So you have to lie to weasel your way out of after work invitations, and do that in a way that does not offend the management jerk.

If you say I can't go I have to workout, or spend time with the kids, or tell the truth he will manipulate through those things and make it your fault. You also can't use a verifiable lie that could get you caught, like saying you are coaching a baseball team.

You look right in his eyes and say my aunt has been shitting herself all day and I have to clean her up, give her medicine and rehab, so no thank you sir. This way you have the moral ground. In addition, as I wrote earlier only give as little details as possible to reduce getting caught. If they ask say it's too much for me to talk about.

I've worked for decades in many corporations and I can attest real life has this crap in it it and the little guy is not protected. I've seen HR and Risk Management departments buckle under VP pressure, it's a huge political game in some places. It's not always the way it's taught in college...

[jznrpg]

What sucks is many companies have cliques and you get promotions based on how well you get along with upper management and if your their bro instead of how hard you work or how well you do your job. I am in my mid 40s and I’ve seen it so many times and got tired of shit like that so I started my own business. I never wanted to hang out or kiss ass to get paid more or promoted and unfortunately that’s how it is in way too many companies. I am glad I’m not a woman because they had it worse at the companies I worked for generally (not always) . The rule is not to mix business with pleasure but when management holds your livelihood in their hands and wants you to show up at these things it’s not as easy to just say no.

[traumadisaster]

I’ve seen and agree with your thoughts, that’s why I recommend an excuse that can’t be verified and has the moral authority.

Something like caring for a chronic sick aunt works well cause it’s not a spouse or child that you will have to verify later. The aunt can go away over night to another city and family member if needed.

[Tapani]

And then suddenly, there were hundreds of people cleaning after their chronic sick aunts.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

If you want NUTS 🥜 grab a can of Planters!

[yomfweeee]

If this happened, I feel for the guy.

But from a legal perspective - it is 100% he said-he said. No one corroborated this guys story. Even the people who were there with him, no one confirmed seeing anything.

All the other stuff about the guy being a nightmare prick boss, that's all irrelevant to what happened. Does nothing to prove some kind of sexual assault occurred.

[AshleeEmerson]

You feel for the guy? Lol... Got it! He did too...

All jokes aside... Well, honestly that's all I had to say. Continue your convo good sirs...

[Cobra951]

It's tough without evidence other than his own testimony; but a civil lawsuit is about making the jury believe one party more than the other, not about going beyond a reasonable doubt. Without better evidence, going public up front I think was a mistake. It would have been better to have his attorney have a sit down with their management, giving them a credible rundown of how things were going to be exposed in court in the lawsuit he was going to file if his client was not made whole. At some point, whether before or after the lawsuit gets filed, depositions, and all the unpleasant pre-trial rot, a settlement offer would likely come along. That's the reality of our litigious society. No big company wants a case like this to go to trial if there's a significant possibility that it will be a crapshoot rather than a slam-dunk for them.

[Tankbusta40]

What a time we live in where dudes are groping dudes

[skiggy34]

Right?!?!? WTF happened?? The snowflakes happened. I mean why did this guy even sit on his lap?

[killswitch80]

back in my day this was a good game or no one will know

[SharpCT]

Everybody and there mama has a sob story nowadays. Lmao!

[skiggy34]

Seriously. Pretty soon if someone gives you a shoulder bump people will call that sexual harassment.

[UltraNova]

Try touching a female coworker's shoulder that doesn't like you that much these days...if you dare.

[mogwaii]

He did grab the guys crotch, far from a shoulder bump.

[Kostche]

if this is actually true

let another man grope him and done nothing LMAO... it would taken the whole office drag me of the guy if that happen to me, people working in this industry are such cowards and spineless human beings, as always following the so called rules that protect these sort vile scummy humans

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

I would've just laughed it off and told him F*** Off, if he persisted - well I guess I'm out of a job.

[Kostche]

sexual assualt should never be laughed off and they wonder why it goes un punished and hidden within industry and everywhere else, people need start dealing with it at the time and not months, years late

the majority of us know when something is joke and when someone is being serious

anyway i agree with how you would have handled it +1

[CaptainFaisal]

Bunch of pussies, man up already.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

I don't give a damn what your name or title is. Ain't no man groping me and not ending up in the hospital. If I lose my job, I lose my job.

[EazyC]

There was some other guy who said an exec at R* 'let his willy pickle in my bum' on a GTA V interview but it sounded consensual.

Don't know if that's relevant but I thought of it immediately -- not that there's anything really wrong with gay hijinks, just as long as it's not assault.

[Cavalier]

Unacceptable.

[mogwaii]

Lemongrope

[mogwaii]

Gropen like a rockstar.

[TheOpenWorlder]

Gropen men*

[mogwaii]

Gropemen*

[2pacalypsenow]

That’s gay.

They got dude grabbing dudes but we can’t even have sex with the hookers in RDR2?

Smh....

[TheOpenWorlder]

Jeronimo!!!! Jumped in as being a groper!

[AuraAbjure]

I guess a takeaway here is to discuss the requirements of socializing with co-workers before accepting a position. This incident never would have happened if Rockstar didn't encourage employees to be so social with each other.

Bungie's annual decathalon thing comes to mind. I wonder if that outdoor festivity and games event they hold or used to hold was mandatory to employees?

I also recall my ex girlfriend had to play in soccer competitions when she worked for an embassy. She got a little hurt too which pissed me off.

[rainslacker]

I don't think office events are that bad. You're with the people you work with, and sometimes it can build a nice office atmosphere if you can just get to know people a bit. Competitive events can build team spirit and what not. Like an office softball league or something.

[chris235]

in another news was reported that a sack if rice in china just dropped

[Elda]

TMI. Next.

[Cmoney007]

I guess he can compare notes with Kevin Spacey?