Los Angeles: SpaceX, the renowned rocket manufacturer, and its CEO Elon Musk found themselves at the center of a lawsuit on Wednesday, brought forth by eight engineers who claim they were unlawfully terminated for speaking out against alleged sexual harassment and gender discrimination within the company.
The group of engineers, comprising four women and four men, alleges that Musk orchestrated their dismissals in 2022 following their circulation of a letter criticizing him as a “distraction and embarrassment.” Their letter urged company executives to denounce Musk’s sexually suggestive remarks on social media. The lawsuit was filed in a state court in Los Angeles.
Among the grievances cited in the lawsuit are Musk’s series of tweets containing sexually explicit content, including references to his own anatomy. One tweet from 2022 directed at the former CEO of YouTube drew particular attention, stating, “if you touch my wiener, you can have a horse.”
The plaintiffs argue that Musk’s behavior contributed to a “pervasively sexist culture” at SpaceX, where female engineers endured regular harassment and sexist remarks, with their complaints about the workplace environment routinely disregarded. According to the lawsuit, senior engineers even used sexual innuendos to describe rocket components.
“These actions … had the foreseeable and actual result of offending, causing distress, and intruding upon Plaintiffs’ well-being so as to disrupt their emotional tranquility in the workplace,” stated the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
SpaceX has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter. However, the company has previously refuted allegations of wrongdoing, asserting that the engineers were terminated for violating company policies, particularly regarding the disruptive nature of their 2022 letter. SpaceX also denied Musk’s involvement in the decision to terminate the engineers.
Paige Holland-Thielen, one of the plaintiffs, emphasized the lawsuit’s aim to hold SpaceX leadership accountable and drive changes in workplace policies. In a statement provided by her legal representatives, she expressed hope that the legal action would empower colleagues to advocate for a better work environment.
The eight engineers are already involved in a case with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board, alleging that their firings violated their rights under U.S. labor law. SpaceX has challenged the NLRB’s proceedings, contending that they violate constitutional rights. A U.S. appeals court recently halted the NLRB case pending further review.
The lawsuit filed on Wednesday accuses SpaceX and Musk of retaliation, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination under California law. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, along with an injunction to halt SpaceX from engaging in alleged unlawful conduct.
