2018 didn’t exactly start off as Nike’s year. In the spring, the athletics retailer suffered through a tumultuous period punctuated by a mass exodus of top executives, including the Nike brand president, the vice president of footwear and several others.
While the company took measures to try and correct for the behavior, including an apology from CEO Mark Parker, the promotion of several women and salary raises, troubles surrounding the brand’s corporate culture continued. Claims of sexual harassment soon followed, in the form of a class action lawsuit filed against Nike over the summer, saying female employees were “devalued and demeaned.” The retailer has since moved to dismiss multiple of the main claims in court.