An Amazon Web Services (AWS) employee has filed a lawsuit accusing a senior company executive of raping her during a business trip to New York in October 2023. The employee has also alleged that Amazon failed to properly investigate her complaint and attempted to prevent her from speaking about the incident, according to a report by The New York Post.
Laura Danbom, a marketing and operations manager based in Seattle, has accused Michelangelo Simonte, an advertising executive based in Madrid, of sexually assaulting her on 27 October, 2023. The allegations are detailed in a lawsuit filed in a Seattle state court.
According to the complaint, Danbom travelled to New York with several colleagues, including Simonte, for a work-related trip. The group attended an Amazon-hosted event featuring an open bar before visiting karaoke bars later that evening. The activities were paid for by the company, the lawsuit alleges.
Danbom has accused Amazon of creating a hostile work environment following the alleged incident. She has also alleged that the company violated Washington state’s Silenced No More Act, which restricts employers from preventing workers from discussing certain cases involving workplace discrimination, harassment and sexual assault.
The lawsuit raises questions about the company’s handling of workplace sexual misconduct complaints and its obligations to employees who report alleged abuse.
The allegations remain claims made in a legal complaint and have not been established as findings of a court. The available report does not include Amazon’s response to the specific allegations or details of any response from Simonte.
