Cards Against Humanity co-founder Max Temkin has stepped down from the popular card game company after accusations surfaced on social media this month about toxic workplace culture at its Chicago office.
In a statement published Monday on its website, Cards Against Humanity announced that Temkin stepped down on June 9 and no longer has an active role at the company. Temkin is one of eight co-founders of Cards Against Humanity and was among its most high-profile executives. Temkin remains a one-eighth shareholder in Cards Against Humanity but is no longer receiving a salary, the company said.
The decision comes after several former Cards Against Humanity employees took to social media to reveal instances of a toxic workplace culture, including allegations of racism and sexism. Former employees, using the hashtag #CAHIsOver, discussed their experiences with the company, including one former employee who described a work environment that was hostile toward Black employees.
The former staffer told Polygon that "she experienced a barrage of microaggressions — including having to introduce herself to leadership multiple times, and being confused for other Black women at the company — and a culture of fear," according to a story published Tuesday.
A former Cards Against Humanity writer also told Polygon that the company's leadership "sometimes ignored Black writers’ concerns about potentially harmful cards," including a card suggestion that included “the N-word." In its statement on Monday, Cards Against Humanity said that it "has never and would never print the N-word written out," and the card in question was written as "Saying the N-word." Ultimately, the card was never added to the game, the company said.
Cards Against Humanity said it's hiring a firm to "review and improve all HR, hiring, and management practices at the company."
"As Cards Against Humanity rapidly grew from a hobby project in our parents’ basements to a company with 18 full-time employees, we made a lot of mistakes," Cards Against Humanity said in a statement. "We want to apologize to employees who were unheard or disrespected in our office. We are truly sorry. We also want to state unequivocally that we condemn harassment of anyone who has posted stories about their experiences at Cards Against Humanity."
The company also said a third-party organization will lead workplace training for all of its employees, focusing on communication and unconscious bias at work.
Temkin's departure comes as he and fellow Cards Against Humanity co-founder Ben Hantoot just raised over $3.4 million on Kickstarter for a new jigsaw puzzle game that comes with a magic ending. The game is the most-backed puzzle project ever on Kickstarter. However, many backers have begun to cancel their pledges and are asking for a refund.
