Amazon employee sues over alleged rape by senior executive

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 19:58 · Archive

An Amazon employee has sued the company alleging a senior executive raped her during a New York business trip.

Laura Danbom, a marketing and operations manager for Amazon Web Services based in Seattle, has sued Amazon alleging she was raped by Michelangelo Simonte, a senior advertising executive, during a business trip to New York City on 27 October 2023. The lawsuit was filed in state court in Seattle this week.

According to the complaint, Danbom and Simonte attended an Amazon-hosted open bar event and continued the evening at karaoke bars, all paid for by Amazon. Early in the evening they 'flirted', 'joked' and 'got along', the suit states. At the end of the night, Simonte kissed her and persuaded her to let him accompany her to her hotel room at the Hyatt Place in Chelsea. 'In Laura's hotel room, during the early morning hours, Simonte raped her,' the complaint alleged. 'Before the rape started, she said no.'

Danbom claims Amazon failed to perform a full investigation of the allegations and told her to keep quiet about them. She is suing for allegedly subjecting her to a hostile work environment and for violating Washington State's Silenced No More Act, which protects victims who speak up about workplace assaults from retaliation. Simonte continues to work for Amazon at its Madrid offices.

How it is being reported

• Female Amazon executive sues over claim she was raped by manager after boozy karaoke work night outLaura Danbom, 39, has accused Amazon of failing to adequately investigate an alleged rape and attempting to silence her.Daily Mail · 22 Oct, 19:45
• Amazon employee files explosive lawsuit claiming senior executive raped her on NYC business tripAn Amazon employee claimed she was raped by a senior executive during a business trip to New York City -- and that the company told her to keep quiet about it.New York Post · 21 Oct, 23:37

In this story: Laura Danbom · Michelangelo Simonte · Amazon · New York City · Seattle · Madrid

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