Founder of accessibility nonprofit AbleGamers accused of abusive conduct and financial mismanagement
"We need to get the most fucked up disabled person to be on our marketing"
The founder of gaming accessibility charity AbleGamers has been accused of abuse and financial mismanagement. Speaking to IGN, former employees who worked at AbleGamers alleged multiple instances of sexist and emotionally abusive behavior, financial mismanagement, as well as aggressive, racist, and inappropriate remarks by founder Mark Barlet. Barlet denies the allegations.
After allegedly being told by Barlet that she was effectively the company's HR because she was the only woman that worked there, one source was sent to work on an HR case. This "was really illegal of me because I didn’t have those credentials," she told IGN. Barlet reportedly made light of this situation for several weeks afterward, "causing numerous employees to feel uncomfortable". Following childbirth, the same woman was told by Barlet in a meeting that her "jugs had gotten so big that he wouldn’t know how to handle them".
The source also described hearing Barlet make racist remarks about other employees. In one instance, Barlet reportedly said that "we need to get the most fucked up disabled person to be on our marketing, the one with real multiple disabilities," while making mocking gestures. The source told IGN that Barlet's "behaviors with her grew increasingly hostile every time she spoke out against him". Barlet also was reportedly dismissive or aggressive towards other accessibility advocates, telling one individual over a call that they were "a drop in the pond of accessibility. And I own the pond".
According to another anonymous source, Barlet also mismanaged funds from the millions in donations the charity recieved over the years. "Funds were allocated for first-class tickets for certain leadership, hotel rooms before or after the dates of designated events, and even expensive meals for office staff that primarily consisted of remote employees," write IGN. The same source alleges that Barlet also used the nonprofit's budget to pay for a Tesla charger for AbleGamers's headquarters, despite being the only one there who drove a Tesla. Salaries were also a point of contention with the nonprofit, with alleged favouritism dictating pay, and "some employees earning far more for doing far less within the company".
This all came to a head in April last year, when a former employee ordered an investigation by payroll and HR service ADP, who allegedly advised AbleGamer's independent board to terminate Barlet "immediately due to the severe nature of the allegations," write IGN. The independent board allegedly ignored ADP's findings. Barlet eventually left the nonprofit following another external investigation.
When reached out to by IGN for comment, Barlet said that "after thoroughly being investigated by an independent third-party, it was determined that none of that was true," telling IGN that the allegations and subsequent investigation occured after he was allegedly advised to cut back on AbleGamers' workforce. He also responded to the claims of financial mismanagement, denying the Tesla charger purchase and several other allegations. IGN note that Barlet provided "no evidence to refute the allegations, only his word", and refused to show documentation unless correspondence was off the record.
A source who spoke to IGN alleges that those who spoke out against Barlet were retaliated against by the board. "The people that were fired were all ones that filed reports or talked to lawyers." AbleGamers officials did not respond to IGN's request for comment.