SpaceX sued by employee for allegedly promoting serial sexual abuse
A SpaceX employee, named Michelle Dopak, has filed a lawsuit against the company. She alleges seven years of sexual abuse, discrimination, unequal pay, and harassment at the firm's Hawthorne, California headquarters. Dopak claims her direct supervisor was responsible for the abuse and that the company's top executives ignored her pleas for help. This lawsuit comes as SpaceX faces another proposed class action lawsuit pertaining to alleged pay and promotion inequity against women and minorities.
Disturbing details of the complaint
Dopak's complaint reveals a disturbing pattern of harassment and efforts to cover up sexual coercion within the company. Her allegations are reminiscent of the 2021 accounts of five ex-SpaceX workers and eight women who sued Tesla, another company owned by Elon Musk. Despite the ongoing lawsuit, Dopak continues employed at SpaceX, where she alleges managers are trying to force her resignation by making her work 12-hour days, six days a week, in violation of her medical accommodation needs.
Legal battles involving SpaceX
The lawsuit also accuses SpaceX of attempting to "coerce and force" Dopak into arbitration, which has been prohibited for sexual harassment claims by US federal law since 2022. Tesla faced a similar situation in 2022 when it was blocked from doing so. In January, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) sued SpaceX for firing employees who wrote an open letter criticizing Musk. In response, SpaceX sued the NLRB, claiming its lawsuit was unconstitutional.
Ex-employees file lawsuit
Last month, seven former workers filed civil rights complaints against SpaceX, alleging discrimination as well as sexual harassment. These California-based employees were axed in 2022 after they circulated an open letter that was critical of Musk's behavior. The complainants claimed the firm's actions were in violation of the state's Fair Employment and Housing Act. This law does not permit sex-based discrimination and retaliation against workers who raise concerns in their workplaces.
