San Francisco, Mar 2 (IANS): A senior-level manager at Amazon has filed a lawsuit against the tech giant, alleging race and gender discrimination at the workplace.

The lawsuit was filed by Charlotte Newman in the district court in Washington, D.C. on Monday, USA TODAY reported.

She alleged that she was hired for a position which was a level lower than the position she originally applied for despite having the necessary qualifications.

According to her attorney Douglas Wigdor, Newman accepted the "Level 6" public policy manager position at Amazon after she was told that her responsibilities would be limited to US-related domestic policy work.

However, within months Newman was carrying out responsibilities related to "Level 7" international-based work outside of the US, said the lawyer.

The "de-levelling" has cost Newman hundreds of thousands in pay, argued the lawyer.

According to the suit, Newman, who is Black, was also paid lower compensation compared to her White co-workers while doing similar work.

Newman's promotion to a Level 7 position happened more than two and a half years after doing the work since she joined, according to Wigdor.

"Amazon works hard to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture, and these allegations do not reflect those efforts or our values," an Amazon spokesperson was quoted as saying.

"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."

Newman's suit also alleges that a former Amazon executive sexually harassed and assaulted her.