Former SpaceX employees file harassment and wrongful termination suit | Technology

Eight former engineers accuse CEO Elon Musk of overseeing a “pervasive sexist culture” at the rocket company.

Eight former SpaceX engineers have filed a lawsuit accusing the rocket company and its CEO Elon Musk of firing them for expressing concerns about the treatment of female employees.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in California, the former employees alleged that Musk personally ordered their terminations after circulating a letter within SpaceX raising concerns about the billionaire's sexually charged comments on social media.

The lawsuit accuses Musk of overseeing a “pervasive sexist culture” and an “‘Animal House’ environment,” with women rated on their bra size and bombarded with sexual jokes.

The suit references a number of comments Musk made on his social platform X, including a message telling former YouTube CEO Chad Hurley, “If you touch my sausage, you can have a horse.”

“SpaceX management knowingly permitted and fostered a work environment rife with sexual harassment,” Anne B Shaver, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement.

“Being fired for protesting SpaceX's complete failure to take fundamental steps to prevent sexual harassment is clearly retaliatory, wrong, and actionable.”

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

“We hope this trial will encourage our colleagues to stay strong and continue fighting for a better workplace,” she said.

The former employees are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages as well as an order prohibiting SpaceX from continuing to engage in illegal conduct.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The former employees previously filed a complaint with the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), accusing the company of violating US labor laws.

Last month, the NLRB told a federal judge in Texas court that it would stay its action against SpaceX to expedite a final decision in a lawsuit filed by the company that claims the structure and procedures of the agency violate the U.S. Constitution.