Eight People File Complaint Against Elon Musk and SpaceX for Discrimination and Sexual Harassment

American media reported that eight engineers, who claim they were "illegally" fired from Elon Musk's SpaceX for warning about "sexual harassment and discrimination against women," have filed a complaint. The engineers, consisting of four women and four men, allege that Mr. Musk fired them in 2022 after they referred to the billionaire as "a source of shame and embarrassment" in a letter regarding his behavior. SpaceX has denied any wrongdoing, stating that the letter disrupted employee activities and that the eight engineers were "rightly" terminated for violating company policies. The dismissed engineers also claim that Mr. Musk instructed company managers to deny his "sexist" remarks on social media. The complaint emphasizes that Musk's behavior has reinforced a "completely gendered culture" at SpaceX, where female engineers are routinely subjected to harassment and sexist comments, and their concerns about workplace culture are ignored. According to the lawsuit, for example, sexual and male genitalia-related terms have been used to describe rocket components. The plaintiffs stated that these actions have caused insult, discomfort, and harassment in the workplace. Paige Holland-Tylen, one of the plaintiffs, stated in a statement provided by her lawyers that the complaint, filed on Wednesday, June 13, is an attempt to hold SpaceX management accountable and to create changes in workplace policies. The eight engineers currently claim that their termination violated their rights under U.S. labor law. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and a ruling that prohibits SpaceX from continuing its illegal behavior. Elon Musk is not the first prominent and wealthy figure in the United States to face sexual harassment allegations in recent years. He previously denied allegations of sexual harassment from a flight attendant on a private jet in 2016.