Riot Games Sets up a Tip Line at TSM for Staff to Anonymously Report Abusive Conduct

In November 2021, various allegations of harassment, discrimination, bullying, and inappropriate conduct were leveled toward Team SoloMid’s (TSM) CEO Andy “Reginald” Dinh and this immediately led to two investigations: one by Riot Games and an internal one by the organization itself. TSM’s investigations found no evidence of inappropriate or unlawful behavior by Reginald and now Riot Games has revealed the findings from its investigation into Reginald. Apart from fining the CEO and placing him on probation, Riot Games has also set up a tip line at the TSM office for employees to anonymously report instances of abusive conduct by Reginald, revealed a competitive ruling.

What is Riot Games’ ruling on Reginald?

The Riot officials revealed that there was a “pattern and practice of disparaging and bullying behavior exhibited by Andy Dinh towards TSM players and staff members,” and that Reginald has been fined $75,000 USD. On top of this, the company has mandated sensitivity and executive training for the former pro.

In addition, Reginald has also been placed on probation across the Riot ecosystem for the next two years to ensure that TSM works towards a “culture shift within their organization.” An independent monitor is also being appointed by Riot Games to operate a tip line for employees and they will also follow through with regular check-ins with the TSM League of Legends players, the ruling added.

Executive Director of the NALCSPA [North American League of Legends Championship Series Player Association] Philip Aram stated, “From our perspective at the PA, the meat of this decision lies in its final paragraphs. Independent monitoring that the PA will be a part of paired with notice to employees (current and future) about Dinh's probation and the tip line are vital and impactful.”

Talking about whether the LCSPA welcomed the ruling, Aram said that it would have taken a bigger fine but acknowledged that fines alone don’t make changes in the ecosystem. “The probation, monitoring, and disclosure system is an important and good outcome given the evidence we saw. It may not fit snuggly into a meme, but it's a meaningful penalty we applaud,” he added.

Findings of the Riot Games investigation

Riot Games stated that it interviewed 14 people including Reginald and that it reviewed emails and other modes of communications, public statements, and videos. From these, Riot found that Reginald did verbally abuse some pros and staff members and that these outbursts were limited to the person’s performance only.

Riot said, “None of the witnesses recall any situation in which Dinh’s abusive behavior focused on a protected class (race, gender, age, sexual orientation, sexual identity, etc) and there were no reports of actual or threatened physical abuse towards any TSM player or staff member.”

TSM and Reginald have been under the lens of the community, Riot Games, the league, and the fans for quite some time now. With the investigations complete, Reginald will likely do an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit as he had promised to do one after the publication of a Washington Post article.