Elon Musk and SpaceX sued for alleged sexual harassment by former employees

FILE – Elon Musk appears at an event in London on Nov. 2, 2023. Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, managed by Norges Bank Investment Management, said Saturday, Jan. 8, 2024, that it will vote against Elon Musk’s lavish CEO compensation package at Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)

(KRON) – On Wednesday, eight former SpaceX employees filed a lawsuit against the rocket manufacturer and its owner Elon Musk. The lawsuit accuses Musk of creating a “thoroughly sexist culture” and an “Animal House” environment in which women are allegedly judged by their bra size and constantly embarrassed by sexual innuendo.

Before this lawsuit was filed, the eight SpaceX employees had previously sent an open letter to SpaceX management denouncing the “illegal, hostile work environment.” The lawsuit alleges that “Musk personally ordered the plaintiff’s terminations” after the letter was filed, Anne B. Shaver, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told KRON4.

“Elon Musk touts SpaceX as a pioneer in a brave new world of space travel, but his company is running it in the dark ages,” Shaver said.

The lawsuit alleges that “Musk knowingly and intentionally created an unwelcoming, hostile work environment by introducing into the workplace vile sexual photos, memes, and comments that degraded women and/or the LGBTQ+ community.”

The lawsuit relates to several comments made by Musk, mostly on his social media platform X. Among them is a post in which he told former YouTube CEO Chad Hurley, “If you touch my wiener, you can have a horse.”

Although the postings were made on his personal account, the plaintiffs believed Musk “intentionally” directed users to stay up to date on his X account in parallel when following SpaceX news and updates. According to the lawsuit, Musk’s account is also mentioned in SpaceX’s company handbook as a source of approved company news that employees could share publicly.

“Not surprisingly,” the lawsuit states, “employees and the public perceived Musk’s Twitter feed as a reflection of SpaceX’s corporate culture itself.”

The plaintiffs believe that these actions “had foreseeable and actual consequences, namely, that they insulted, caused suffering and harm to the plaintiffs, thereby disturbing their emotional peace in the workplace,” the lawsuit states.

Wednesday’s lawsuit accuses SpaceX and Musk of retaliation and wrongful termination in violation of California law. The company is also accused of sexual harassment and gender discrimination.

The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, as well as an injunction against SpaceX to enjoin the continuation of its allegedly unlawful conduct.

Paige Holland-Thielen, one of the plaintiffs, said in a statement released by her lawyers that the lawsuit was an “important milestone in our pursuit of justice.”

“We hope this lawsuit encourages our colleagues to stay strong and continue to fight for a better workplace,” she said.