A local Amazon employee is suing the company, alleging it failed to protect her after she reported that a senior manager raped her.
The employee stated that when she reported the rape to Amazon and gave credible evidence, the company told her that if she wanted to keep her job, she would have to keep working with the senior manager and not speak about the attack, according to the complaint obtained by MyNorthwest.
“I reported it to HR,” the employee told KIRO Newsradio. “Two days later … they allowed me to continue working with this person. And they told me not to mention anything, which kept me from warning other people. Ultimately, I had to continue working with him in that job if I were to keep it.”
The employee was allegedly raped in October 2023 on an Amazon-funded work trip in New York.
“One evening, after an Amazon-hosted open-bar event ended, numerous Amazon employees and partners, including [the employee] and [the senior manager], continued the gathering at karaoke and bars, all paid for by Amazon,” the complaint stated. “[The employee] and [the senior manager] flirted. They joked. They got along. Towards the end of the night, he kissed her. [The senior manager] persuaded [the employee] to go back to her hotel room with him. But [the employee] did not want to have sex with him. She refused to have sex with him. After all, this is not the 1800s. A man cannot demand a woman have sex with him because she drank, flirted, and was kissed.
“[The senior manager], however, had other plans,” it continued. “In [the employee’s] hotel room, during the early morning hours, [the senior manager] raped her. Before the rape started, she said no. During the rape, [the employee] asked him, ‘You realize this is,’ and [the senior manager] finished her sentence, saying, ‘rape? Yes.’ He ignored her protests. He raped her.”
Complaint alleges Amazon failed to adequately investigate reported rape
The employee told a friend about the incident and ultimately decided to report it to police and Amazon. The employee reported the incident to Amazon two days after it happened. She also told other friends and her therapist. The next day, she reported it to the New York Police Department and underwent a rape kit.
The employee also questioned the senior manager with police listening over the phone. He denied having sex with the employee, saying he was “200% sure.” However, days later, he contradicted himself in the police interview, saying he was too drunk to remember, according to the complaint. The employee stated that she gave police a condom the senior manager left behind, and it was tested and came back positive for male DNA.
The employee’s attorney, Jay Free, told KIRO Newsradio that the New York Police Department closed its investigation after exhausting leads.
“When we spoke with the detective, he indicated that was because of the criminal beyond a reasonable doubt standard,” Free said.
In December 2023, Amazon concluded its investigation and reportedly found a “lack of evidence” that the senior manager violated Amazon policy. The complaint alleged Amazon failed to conduct a reasonable investigation, including not interviewing key witnesses.
“I burst into tears, and I was heartbroken,” the employee said when she heard back from Amazon. “I thought they would protect me, and they totally failed me, and it’s not acceptable, and it shouldn’t happen to anyone.”
Amazon employee seeks damages for lost wages, emotional harm
The employee ultimately had to leave her position and move to another role at Amazon, according to the complaint.
“Amazon’s conduct has also cost [the employee] far more than a paycheck,” the complaint stated. “Before the rape, her career was thriving. When she changed roles, she lost seven years of hard work and advancement. She has lost wages too. But the betrayal is the harm she carries every day.”
Free noted the lawsuit focuses on Amazon’s conduct and the responsibility of employers to protect workers who report sexual assault.
“This is a systemic issue,” Free said. “All too often, institutions protect powerful men at the expense of sexual assault survivors, and it’s time for a change.”
The employee is seeking damages for lost wages and employment benefits, future lost earnings, and emotional harm, including anxiety, humiliation, and damage to her reputation, according to the complaint. The amount would be determined at trial.
“I really hope that I can encourage other women to speak up and report these acts because it is only perpetuated if we don’t,” the employee said. “And women deserve better, and we deserve protection and safety from all of these organizations.”
KIRO Newsradio has reached out to Amazon for comment.
Contributing: Luke Duecey, KIRO Newsradio
This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
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