Amazon had argued the court should ignore the supposed whistleblower’s account because it’s hearsay. Judge Subramanian also said he was skeptical that an anonymous insider randomly confirmed Anderson’s suspicions of a conspiracy to oust her, particularly because her bosses allegedly tried to get her to stay.
“However, the identity of and statements made by the alleged whistleblower will be subjects of discovery,” Judge Subramanian wrote. “And as this case continues, the court expects counsel for both sides to strictly adhere to their obligations to ensure that the parties’ factual contentions have (or will have) evidentiary support.”
Jessie Djata, who is representing Anderson, told Law360 that the former Amazon employee “is not the first woman of color to be the victim of discrimination laundering, nor will she be the last.”
“Her decision to file a lawsuit against one of the largest companies in the world was not an easy one; it took a great deal of courage,” Djata said. “We are at the beginning of a long and arduous battle, but we believe in the judicial process and intend to fight vigorously to ensure Ms. Anderson achieves a just outcome.”
