Amazon Employee Says She Was Forced to Keep Working With Executive She Accused of Raping Her on a Business Trip

An Amazon employee alleges the company required her to continue working with a senior executive she accused of raping her during a business trip to New York. Laura Danbom claims Amazon expected her to maintain contact with the executive through calls, emails, and remote meetings despite reporting the alleged assault to police and the company's human resources department.

Danbom, a marketing and operations manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Seattle, filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court accusing Amazon of creating a hostile work environment and violating Washington state's Silenced No More Act. The lawsuit concerns an alleged assault on 27 October 2023 involving Michelangelo Simonte, an advertising executive based in Madrid who worked in the same division.

Employee Says Executive Ignored Her Refusal

According to the complaint, Danbom and colleagues attended an Amazon-hosted event with an open bar before continuing the evening at karaoke bars. Amazon paid for the gatherings, the lawsuit alleges. Danbom and Simonte flirted and joked earlier in the evening, according to the filing. At the end of the night, he kissed her and persuaded her to let him accompany her to her hotel room.

The complaint alleges Simonte raped Danbom in the early hours of 28 October after she explicitly refused. It says he ignored her protests. Danbom reported the incident to the New York Police Department (NYPD) the following day and underwent a sexual assault forensic examination. She also gave officers a condom that Simonte allegedly left behind, according to the lawsuit.

The complaint says a detective monitored a subsequent telephone conversation between the pair. During the call, Simonte reportedly said he was 200% sure they had not had sexual intercourse. He later told police he was too drunk to remember what happened, according to the filing.

Amazon's Investigation Under Scrutiny

Danbom notified Amazon's human resources department two days after the alleged assault. She also told friends and her therapist about the incident, the complaint states. Amazon placed Simonte on a leave of absence for several months while investigating the allegations, according to Danbom's account. The company ultimately concluded that Simonte had not violated its policies.

The lawsuit alleges Amazon deemed Danbom's account unfounded because of insufficient evidence, treating the matter as a dispute involving conflicting accounts. Danbom disputes that conclusion, alleging investigators failed to interview witnesses who could support her account or collect other potentially relevant evidence. She also accuses them of asking inappropriate questions, including whether she had shouted no and whether she had done enough to stop the alleged assault.

According to the complaint, Amazon indicated it would reopen the investigation if New York prosecutors brought criminal charges against Simonte. Danbom's lawyer, Jay Free, said police did not refer the case to local prosecutors because investigators had exhausted their investigative options. The complaint also alleges officers failed to interview witnesses Danbom identified as people she spoke to immediately after the incident. The absence of a criminal referral does not establish whether the alleged assault occurred. The allegations remain unproven in court.

Employee Says Confidentiality Rules Limited Her Options

Danbom alleges Amazon instructed her not to discuss the incident at work because the matter was highly confidential. She said the restriction prevented her from warning other women who might encounter Simonte at company events. The complaint further alleges that Amazon told Danbom her role would remain unchanged, requiring her to continue communicating with Simonte despite her complaint.

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said the company took allegations of this nature extremely seriously. She said Amazon had zero tolerance for workplace sexual misconduct or violence and thoroughly investigated reports. The company took appropriate action, including termination, against employees found to have breached its policies, she added. Nantel declined to discuss the specific allegations because litigation was pending. She said Amazon had established policies and trained investigators to address workplace concerns.

Alleged Career Setbacks

Danbom said she took two leaves of absence following the incident and applied for 10 other positions within Amazon before transferring to a different role in 2024. Although the transfer meant she no longer had to interact with Simonte, Danbom said it came at a professional cost. She had been on a path towards promotion before the move, which she described as an escape from the situation.

The lawsuit seeks compensation for lost wages, including back pay and future earnings, as well as lost bonuses and other employment benefits. Danbom alleges that transferring roles to avoid Simonte harmed her career prospects. The claims against Amazon and the allegation against Simonte remain unproven in court.