LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On June 12, 2024, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP and Burgess Law Offices filed an eight-count complaint against SpaceX and Elon Musk on behalf of eight SpaceX employees who submitted an open letter to SpaceX management challenging the illegal hostile work environment endemic to the company. After transmitting their letter to SpaceX management, these employees were summarily terminated for daring to seek changes to simply align the workplace culture with state and federal law. The complaint alleges that Musk personally ordered the Plaintiffs’ terminations.
“SpaceX management knowingly permitted and fostered a work environment rife with sexual harassment,” notes Lieff Cabraser partner Anne B. Shaver, who represents the plaintiffs in the action. “To have been terminated for protesting SpaceX’s utter failure to take basic measures to prevent sexual harassment is patently retaliatory, wrong, and actionable.”
As detailed in the Complaint, Elon Musk trumpets SpaceX as the leader to a brave new world of space travel, but runs his company in the dark ages—treating women as sexual objects to be evaluated on their bra size, bombarding the workplace with lewd sexual banter, and offering the reprise to those who challenge the “Animal House” environment that if they don’t like it they can seek employment elsewhere.
Laurie Burgess, who also represents the workers, said, “Musk thinks he’s above the law. Our eight brave clients stood up to him and were fired for doing so. We look forward to holding Musk accountable for his actions at trial.”
Plaintiff Paige Holland-Thielen said, “Filing this suit marks an important milestone in our quest for justice, for holding leadership accountable, and for implementing responsible changes in workplace policies for our colleagues at SpaceX who continue to toil in a hostile work environment. We hope that this lawsuit encourages our colleagues to stay strong and to keep fighting for a better workplace.”
The lawsuit states claims including hostile work environment, retaliation, failure to prevent harassment, gender discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, and wrongful termination, and seeks declarative, compensatory, and injunctive relief.
