Wrongful termination claims: <\/strong>Trader Joe’s employee claims he was fired for suggesting better COVID-19 protections<\/span><\/p>\n The lawyer argues that the “de-leveling” has cost\u00a0his client thousands in pay. He claims that Newman has lost money because\u00a0stock options account for\u00a0a significant portion of Amazon pay packages as\u00a0the company\u00a0has seen its stock price soar\u00a0over the years, especially during\u00a0the pandemic.<\/p>\n “She should’ve been compensated\u00a0at a Level 7. That has happened throughout her career at Amazon,”\u00a0said Wigdor about his client. “The underpayment is definitely within hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not in the seven figures.”<\/p>\n “Amazon works hard to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture, and these allegations do not reflect those efforts or our values,”\u00a0n Amazon spokesperson said in a emailed statement. “We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind and thoroughly investigate all claims and take appropriate action. We are currently investigating the new allegations included in this lawsuit.”<\/p>\n Newman’s lawsuit comes after published reports of\u00a0numerous Black Amazon employees accusing the company of longstanding racism and discrimination.\u00a0Before joining Amazon, Newman, a Harvard Business School graduate, worked for three years as a top\u00a0adviser for Sen.\u00a0Cory Booker of New Jersey, and three other members of Congress who\u00a0served on the House Financial Services Committee, the lawsuit and her LinkedIn profile state.\u00a0<\/p>\n Charlotte Newman (Photo: Handout)<\/span><\/p>\n According to the suit, Newman was also paid significantly less than her white co-workers while doing similar work. Newman was finally promoted to a Level 7 position more than two and a half years after doing the work since her arrival, Wigdor said.<\/p>\n Newman also accuses\u00a0former AWS director\u00a0Andres Maz of sexual harassment and assault for\u00a0groping her “upper thigh” under a table during\u00a0a work dinner, and yanking her\u00a0braided hair when she tried to leave\u00a0a bar during another work-related event.<\/p>\n The suit also accuses AWS director Steve Block, her first boss, of discrimination, including that she was “too direct” and “aggressive” in her communication style. The lawsuit said Maz was fired after Amazon\u00a0conducted an internal investigation and required Block to take training.\u00a0Maz couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.<\/p>\n Newman decided to speak up about her experiences after she began working from home due to the pandemic, and the fatal police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor which led to a global racial reckoning, Wignot said.<\/p>\n When asked why wouldn’t Newman take a financial settlement or just find a new job, Wigdor said\u00a0she has refused settling\u00a0with Amazon because that would likely include a confidentiality clause\u00a0that would prohibit\u00a0talking\u00a0about her experience.<\/p>\n Wigdor, a noted entertainment\u00a0lawyer who has represented\u00a0six of the women who accused beleaguered Hollywood\u00a0mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse, said\u00a0Newman has had some concerns about “retaliation for coming forward.”<\/p>\n The lawyer added that\u00a0Newman has no intentions of leaving Amazon because she\u00a0wants to see the company make\u00a0major changes with\u00a0its hiring and diversity initiatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Ms. Newman wants to change from within and that\u2019s why she\u2019s still there,” Wigdor told USA TODAY.\u00a0“She is going to try to create change that’s why she\u00a0wants to\u00a0make this publicly known.\u00a0She\u2019s hoping that Amazon will make the changes needed as one of\u00a0the largest companies in the world.”<\/p>\nBackdrop of discrimination claims<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nHarassment claims<\/h2>\n