In response to reports that he derided a Staten Island warehouse worker who organized a strike over working conditions, Amazon Inc. general counsel David Zapolsky said he was "frustrated and upset."

"My comments were personal and emotional," Zapolsky said in a statement. "I was frustrated and upset that an Amazon employee would endanger the health and safety of other Amazonians by repeatedly returning to the premises after having been warned to quarantine himself after exposure to virus Covid-19. I let my emotions draft my words and get the better of me." 

Zapolsky issued the statement after Vice News reported that it had obtained leaked notes from a meeting of Amazon leadership. During the meeting, Zapolsky reportedly insulted warehouse employee Christian Smalls, who has been fired.