Amazon Employee Says She Lost Promotion Path After Reporting Alleged Rape by Senior Executive

An Amazon marketing and operations manager has filed a lawsuit in Washington state court accusing the e-commerce giant of forcing her off a promising promotion track after she reported being sexually assaulted by a senior executive during a corporate trip.

Laura Danbom, who works for Amazon Web Services in Seattle, claims she was subjected to a hostile work environment and the company violated Washington state's Silenced No More Act.

The act restricts agreements that prevent employees from discussing certain workplace misconduct, including sexual assault, and prohibits retaliation against employees for making protected disclosures.

The complaint alleges that Amazon told Danbom not to discuss the incident at work, describing the matter as 'highly confidential'. Danbom says the instruction prevented her from warning colleagues who might encounter the executive.

Alleged Assault in New York

Laura Danbom joined Amazon in 2017 and served the company for six years before the incident occurred on 27 October 2023, following an open-bar event and a later gathering at karaoke bars paid for by the company.

The complaint, which was filed at King County Superior Court, indicated that Danbom and Michelangelo Simonte, a Madrid-based ad executive, returned to her hotel room that evening. According to the complaint, Danbom refused to have sex, but alleges that Simonte raped her in the hotel room.

According to the complaint, Danbom reported the assault to Amazon's HR department and the New York Police Department and underwent a rape kit exam. Danbom gave police a condom that Simonte allegedly left behind. The condom reportedly tested positive for male DNA, but investigators did not obtain a sample from Simonte for comparison.

As per the complaint, Simonte initially told Danbom during a call monitored by police that he was '200% sure' they had not had sex. He later reportedly told police he was too drunk to remember what happened.

Amazon's Investigation and an Impossible Choice

Amazon concluded its internal investigation in December 2023, reportedly finding insufficient evidence that Simonte had violated company policy, according to the complaint and subsequent reporting.

Danbom's lawyers allege that Amazon did not request the police report and failed to interview colleagues she had told about the incident. Her legal team argues that these omissions undermined the internal investigation.

Danbom's attorney, Jay Free, said that when an employer tells an employee they have to be quiet about a rape in the workplace, it sends a signal that the employee may be fired if they don't do as they are told.

Retaliation and Abandoning the Promotion Track

The basis of the retaliation claim hinges on the career fallout Danbom experienced after filing her corporate report. According to the complaint, Amazon informed Danbom that the official role as marketing and operations manager would remain the same, but she would be required to continue collaborating with Simonte via email, phone calls, and virtual team meetings.

Since the decision, Danbom has taken two separate leaves of absence to manage the psychological toll. She says she submitted at least 10 internal job applications to avoid working with Simonte, finally obtaining a lateral transfer in 2024.

She said she had been on a path for a promotion before having to walk away from it. Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel responded, saying the company has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct. However, Danbom's suit seeks lost wages and damages for a derailed career.