SpaceX Faces Legal Battle as Former Employees Alleged Gender Discrimination and Harassment
Elon Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX, is facing serious allegations from eight former employees who claim they were wrongfully terminated for raising concerns about gender discrimination and sexual harassment within the company. The ex-employees have filed a lawsuit in a California state court, detailing a “severely sexist culture” that they argue is perpetuated by Musk's behavior and the company's inadequate response to these issues. This lawsuit also includes accusations of an unconstitutional approach to handling internal complaints by SpaceX.
The former employees, who include four men and four women, allege that Musk himself runs SpaceX “in darkness—treating women as sexual objects to be evaluated by their bra size,” and promoting a workplace filled with lewd jokes. The complaint highlights that those who opposed this environment faced reprimand or termination. Moreover, the lawsuit states that inappropriate conduct and comments made by Musk on social media are often mimicked by his employees, further worsening the work atmosphere.
Adding to these claims, the lawsuit points to an incident where Musk purportedly offered a former employee a horse in exchange for sex in 2016, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. This case is a part of broader allegations that include another former employee being asked to bear Musk’s children. Similar complaints have also arisen at Tesla, another of Musk’s companies, which has faced numerous accusations of racism and sexual harassment.
The ex-employees had drafted an open letter in 2022, signed by over 400 employees, criticizing Musk's behavior and urging SpaceX to create a more inclusive culture. Following the letter's publication, they were all fired, allegedly on Musk's orders. The lawsuit argues that these firings were retaliatory actions meant to silence whistleblowers.
An additional grievance was filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), claiming that the terminations were dismissals for participating in “protected concerted activities.” In January 2024, SpaceX responded with its own lawsuit against the NLRB, challenging the constitutionality of the board’s structure. The ongoing legal battle continues to attract significant attention, raising critical questions about the workplace culture at one of the world’s leading aerospace companies.
- In response to the 2022 open letter, SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell affirmed that the company maintained “zero tolerance” for harassment. However, reports suggest that management considered the letter offensive because it made other staff members feel uncomfortable. This discrepancy between corporate statements and internal actions has further fueled the legal struggle.
- Despite the allegations, SpaceX has not provided any formal comment on the recent lawsuit. Historically, the company has refrained from engaging with news organizations about such internal matters, complicating the transparency of their internal operations.
