Why Musk's X is funding lawsuit against Jack Dorsey's Block
Elon Musk's social media company, X, is financially supporting a lawsuit filed by Chloe Happe against her former employer, Block. Happe claims she was wrongfully fired for expressing her opinions on her "pseudonymous, satirical account" on X during her personal time. Musk shared his support for Happe's lawsuit on X, stating, "Supporting your right to freedom of speech." A financial services company, Block was founded by Jack Dorsey, the creator of Twitter (now X).
Controversial posts led to termination
Happe's lawsuit alleges that she was terminated in response to two posts she made on her anonymous account. One post discussed refugees fleeing Gaza for Kurdistan after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. The other post used ableist language and a slur against transgender individuals while talking about a "gender-neutral restroom in the office." Happe insists that her posts were satirical expressions of her political views, and she neither mentioned Block nor made the posts during work hours.
Take a look at X's post
Block accused of violating its own policies
Happe claims that Block obtained copies of her controversial posts but did not reveal if another employee had complained about them. She initially denied creating the posts out of fear of repercussions but later confessed. Happe argues that Block's policies explicitly permitted employees to engage in speeches like her posts. She said the company violated its own rules by firing her without severance solely for expressing views it disagreed with.
Happe seeks reinstatement and damages
In her lawsuit, Happe is seeking court orders for her reinstatement as a Block employee. She is also asking for compensatory and punitive damages, including lost pay from the time she was fired. This isn't the first time X has funded lawsuits in the name of "free speech." The company previously supported Gina Carano's lawsuit against Disney, accusing it of removing her from The Mandalorian for expressing views that were "not in line with the acceptable narrative of the time."
