Five Amazon employees testified at Seattle City Council hearings backing a one-year moratorium on new large-scale AI data centers, urging a pause on expansion while community and environmental concerns are addressed [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. On June 9, 2026, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved the moratorium, halting new data center construction for a year [1, 2, 3, 5].
Following the hearings, three of the Amazon employees—Patrick Schloesser, Darius Irani, and Liesl Wigand—were separately summoned to meetings with Amazon’s Employee Relations and Human Resources departments. They were told they were under investigation related to their public testimonies and warned the inquiry could lead to disciplinary measures, including possible termination [1, 2, 4, 5]. Amazon, however, has reportedly denied that the employees were explicitly told they faced termination for speaking out [5].
The trio, members of the group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ), which advocates for responsible data center practices and renewable energy, have filed a legal complaint with the Seattle Office for Civil Rights. They allege retaliatory action by Amazon and violations of a city ordinance that bans employment discrimination based on political beliefs [1, 2, 4, 5]. Their attorney, Abby Lawlor, stated, "Here, we have legal tools to fight back and ensure that tech workers can be full democratic participants in these important local discussions. We hope the city of Seattle will do its part to ensure that this vital Seattle law is enforced" [4].
In response, Amazon said it "respects employees' right to voice opinions" but contended some employees may have represented themselves as company spokespeople without authorization. Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan said, "We believe it's important to apply our policies consistently so, just as we would with anyone else, we're investigating whether there was a violation of our policies and may or may not take action based on what we find" [2, 5].
Patrick Schloesser described the investigation as "a totally ridiculous claim" and "patently absurd," asserting, "I am unwilling to accept a reality in which Amazon or any corporation can silence me in exercising my rights. We’re not going to step back in line" [1, 4].
Amazon previously terminated two founders of AECJ in 2020. Those employees later sued the company for illegal firing and settled with Amazon out of court [5].
The next key event is the review of the legal complaint by the Seattle Office for Civil Rights following the filing on June 18, 2026, which could lead to formal proceedings or mediation [1, 2, 4].
