Eight former workers of SpaceX, who claim they were unlawfully dismissed in 2022 for speaking up about a toxic work environment, have filed a lawsuit against the firm and Elon Musk, the CEO.
The California lawsuit states staff members expressed their concerns in an open letter to SpaceX management. The lawsuit claims that Musk then personally ordered their terminations.
The complaint states that Musk '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.'
According to the lawsuit, a film that was shown at a staff holiday party and made light of sexual misbehaviour included Musk and other senior executives.
According to the lawsuit, one clip depicts Vice President of Human Resources Brian Bjelde 'having an employee demonstrate how to spank him in the 'correct' manner.'
When Business Insider asked SpaceX for comment, the company did not answer immediately.
One of the plaintiffs, 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.'
In the case, SpaceX is accused of inciting harassment, retaliating against employees, failing to stop harassment, discriminating against women, retaliating against whistleblowers, and firing employees without cause.
The National Labour Relations Board received a complaint from a group of former SpaceX employees who claimed they were the victim of retribution.
However, SpaceX sued the government, claiming that its enforcement procedures were unconstitutional under the US Constitution, which put a stop to that litigation. An appeals court gave Musk's company a temporary injunction in May, preventing the NLRB from pursuing its lawsuit.
In a related development, a story from the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday claimed that Musk had improper relationships, including a sexual one, with female workers at SpaceX.
The resurfaced claims of sexual misbehaviour coincide with a difficult period in Musk's life. Tesla shareholders will cast their votes on Musk's controversial $55 billion compensation proposal on Thursday, which may significantly increase the billionaire's wealth.
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