SpaceX has been dragged to court by eight of its former employees, who have alleged that their termination from service was the company’s retaliation. The said employees had circulated an open letter in 2022 condemning the statements made by Elon Musk, CEO, SpaceX, on X (which was then Twitter). The letter said that Musk’s comments were distracting and embarrassing.
The said employees have filed a lawsuit wherein they have stated that SpaceX as a workplace was like an ‘animal house’ where sexually suggestive behaviour was common.
The plaintiffs are demanding compensation for damages for having had to put up with the hostility they faced at work. Many have admitted to having been harassed by co-workers at SpaceX who tried to mimic what Musk said on Twitter, making them uncomfortable.
Although senior executives at SpaceX were approached about Musk’s inappropriate explicit posts and comments on social media, nothing was done to check the same. Also, the sexual harassment audits which were done internally led to no action, and the complaints were simply dismissed. As per the lawsuit, the work culture at SpaceX was far from warm and friendly; it allowed the objectification of women and did nothing to control sexually-suggestive conversations and language.
The complainants wish to hold the senior leaders at SpaceX accountable and hope that the lawsuit will lead to some positive changes in the company’s work policies.