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Amazon finds itself embroiled in yet another legal tussle, this time over a lawsuit filed in US federal court on Monday accused it of keeping women and b0lack employees down while publicly talking up the need for diversity and equality.
Charlotte Newman, who is black and heads Underrepresented Founder Startup Business Development at Amazon Web Services, said in the suit she has been harassed, sexually assaulted, and kept from advancing to positions she deserved in the corporation.
"Like so many other black and female employees at Amazon, Charlotte Newman was confronted with a systemic pattern of insurmountable discrimination based upon the color of her skin and her gender," attorneys argued in the lawsuit.
Newman is asking for her case to be heard by a jury, and to be awarded unspecified cash damages.
"Amazon works hard to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture, and these allegations do not reflect those efforts or our values," an Amazon spokeswoman said in reply to an AFP inquiry.
"We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind and thoroughly investigate all claims and take appropriate action."
Amazon is reviewing the allegations made in the lawsuit, the spokeswoman added.
"Discriminatory attitudes" at Amazon
Newman said she was hired as a public policy manager at Amazon four years ago, quickly doing work typically assigned to higher level employees and paid less than white co-workers.
In June of last year she filed a written complaint about harassment by a male executive and "discriminatory attitudes" expressed by managers at Amazon, according to the suit.
Later that year, she filed a complaint with the Office of Human Rights in Washington, DC, the filing said.
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Practices at Amazon include putting Black employees into lower paying jobs at levels beneath their qualifications and skills, and then making them wait longer for promotions, the suit contended. A number of black women at Amazon, and particularly its cloud services division, have spoken of having their hair touched without consent or being criticized for not being friendly enough, according to the suit.
"Racial and sexual discrimination exists in Amazon's corporate corridors, not just its warehouses - it simply takes a different form," the lawsuit charged. "Amazon has failed to seriously grapple with these issues among its management."
Amazon is facing accusations of racial and gender discrimination, in a lawsuit filed in US federal court alleging that the e-commerce giant has stymied the career advancement of black and female employees while publicly advocating for diversity and equity.
The suit, brought by Charlotte Newman, a black female executive and leader of Underrepresented Founder Startup Business Development at Amazon Web Services (AWS), alleges pervasive racial and sexual discrimination within the company.
According to the filing, Newman claims she was subjected to racial and gender-based biases that blocked her career progress, as well as harassment and assault by a male executive. She is seeking an unspecified sum in damages and has requested a jury trial.
“Charlotte Newman, like many black and female employees at Amazon, encountered a systemic pattern of insurmountable discrimination based on her race and gender,” her attorneys stated in the suit.
Newman’s case describes Amazon’s workplace as fostering a culture where Black and female employees are assigned lower-paying roles despite their qualifications and are often made to wait longer than their white colleagues for promotions. Newman alleges that after joining the company four years ago as a public policy manager, she was quickly tasked with duties beyond her official role, often without the corresponding pay level or title.
Amazon's stance on DEI
Amazon responded to the lawsuit, and emphasized its commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture. “We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind and thoroughly investigate all claims and take appropriate action,” a spokesperson said.
Despite Amazon’s public stance on diversity and inclusivity, the suit paints a starkly different picture of corporate culture within the tech giant, particularly within its AWS division.
Newman’s complaint claims black women at the company routinely face microaggressions, including having their hair touched without consent and being criticized for not exhibiting enough friendliness. The lawsuit also highlights what it calls a pattern of discriminatory behavior by certain managers, which Newman reported to Amazon’s Office of Human Rights in Washington, D.C., last year.
The case adds to a growing list of legal battles Amazon faces related to employee treatment and workplace culture, especially in relation to its handling of both white-collar and warehouse workers.
It is engaged in ongoing disputes with labor unions and individual employees over working conditions, treatment of minority workers, and alleged union-busting practices. The nature and number of legal challenges have raised questions about Amazon’s reputation as an employer, especially given the frequency and similarity of complaints from various parts of its workforce.
The seemingly constant friction with employees and unions has cast a shadow over its desire to be seen as a fair and progressive employer. The cases expose gaps between corporate statements on equity and the experiences of some of its employees, suggesting the company has a long way to go to establish a positive workplace reputation. As more allegations emerge, the tech giant may find it increasingly tough to reconcile its public commitment to diversity with the internal challenges it faces.
