Former SpaceX employees have filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk, accusing him of creating a sexist “Dark Ages” culture at the company. The civil complaint, filed in a Los Angeles court, claims Musk had them terminated after they published an open letter expressing their concerns and urging SpaceX’s board to distance itself from Musk.
The lawsuit describes SpaceX as a company where women are treated as sexual objects and subjected to lewd banter. It alleges that Musk’s response to those challenging this environment is to suggest they find employment elsewhere. The suit charges Musk and SpaceX with sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination.
“Musk thinks he’s above the law,” said plaintiffs’ attorney Laurie Burgess. “We look forward to holding Musk accountable for his actions at trial.”
The plaintiffs had previously filed a complaint with the US National Labor Relations Board, which has been delayed by a lawsuit from Musk. Plaintiff Paige Holland-Thielen emphasized that filing this suit is crucial for achieving justice, holding leadership accountable, and improving workplace policies at SpaceX.
SpaceX fired the eight workers involved in the lawsuit in 2022. The suit claims SpaceX fostered a hostile work environment with frequent jokes about sexual harassment, pay disparities between men and women, and retaliation against those who complained.
“Musk knowingly and purposefully created an unwelcome hostile work environment,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys said, noting his sharing of inappropriate sexual content and comments that demeaned women and the LGBTQ+ community. The engineers described a sexist corporate culture where such behaviors were tolerated or trivialized, with Musk’s inappropriate online humor setting the tone internally.
SpaceX has not yet responded to requests for comment. Tesla, Musk’s other major company, has faced similar accusations of racism and sexual harassment at its California site.
