In separate suits filed Wednesday, the diverse group of
women, who worked either corporate positions or warehouse management and range
in age from 23 to 64, each allege they faced retaliation by their white
managers for complaining about the sexual harassment and discrimination they
faced.
Two of the women are Black, and the others are white, Latina
and Asian American. They are being represented by Wigdor LLP, the New York firm
that's also representing Charlotte Newman, a senior-level manager at Amazon who
sued the tech giant and two executives over alleged race and gender
discrimination, as well as pay inequity in March.
In a statement, the women's lawyers, Lawrence M. Pearson and
Jeanne M. Christensen of Wigdor, said Wednesday that women and employees of
color at all levels at Amazon have long had their complaints brushed under the
rug.
"Amazon can no longer dismiss abusive behavior and
retaliation by white managers as mere anecdotes," the lawyers said.
"These are systemic problems, entrenched deep within the company and
perpetuated by a human resources organization that treats employees who raise
concerns as a problem."
In an emailed statement, Amazon said: “We are conducting
thorough investigations for each of these unrelated cases, as we do with any
reported incidents, and we have found no evidence to support the allegations.
Amazon works hard to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture. We do
not tolerate discrimination or harassment in any form, and employees are
encouraged to raise concerns to any member of management or through an
anonymous ethics hotline with no risk of retaliation."
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According to one of the suits, Pearl Thomas, 64, a Black
Human Resources Partner in Washington state, alleged that her white male
supervisor in Amazon Web Services HR called Thomas the “n-word” after he
apparently thought she had hung up on a video call in March.
Thomas also claimed that in other meetings, she and another
Black female employee were told by an Amazon general manager that “You don’t
want to be an angry Black woman.”
In another lawsuit, Diana Cuervo, 40, a Latina warehouse
manager, said her white male supervisor repeatedly made racist comments to her.
The supervisor allegedly said, “Latins suck,” “How is a
Latin like you working here?” and, “You are a Latina woman, I need to be
careful every time I talk to you.”
Cuervo further alleged that she was fired weeks after
reporting the supervisor's alleged harassment to human resources, a few days
after she reported a gas leak at her Amazon facility despite her boss’s alleged
attempt to downplay the situation and demand she keep quiet.
A third woman, Cindy Warner, 59, who was a Global Leader at
Amazon Web Services' ProServe Advisory in Irvine, California, alleged in her
suit that despite a successful first year at Amazon, she was subjected to
verbal and gender discrimination by white male managers, including being called
a “bitch,” and “idiot,” and a “nobody."
Warner, who is gay and white, alleged in her suit that she
was prohibited from applying for a higher position and fired in retaliation for
complaining about being discriminated against, and apparently just three weeks
after Amazon learned she decided to get a lawyer to fight her claims.
A fourth woman, Tiffany Gordwin, 38, a senior human
resources specialist in Avondale, Arizona, who is Black, alleged in her suit
she was treated like a second-class citizen by the majority of her white
supervisors and passed over for numerous promotions in favor of her white male
peers.
Gordwin's suit also said she was accused of speaking in
“aggressive” tones as she allegedly saw younger and less qualified white men
land higher roles and was retaliated against for complaining about racial bias
by her white supervisor.
A fifth woman, Emily Sousa, 23, a shift manager at Amazon's
facility in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, alleged in her lawsuit that she was
repeatedly sexually and racially harassed by another male manager.
Sousa, who is Asian American, said the manager would
initiate lengthy phone calls with her and attempt to discuss her personal life,
and ask her to spend time together outside work. After she rejected his
advances for a few months, she was demoted by three levels in retaliation and
sent to work temporarily at a facility in New Jersey, her suit alleged. She
also claimed Amazon refused to take any action against the manager.