Warning: The following article contains sensitive material.
A SpaceX there is an employee sued against the company, accusing her of siding with a supervisor who pressured her to have sex with him. The plaintiff said she and other female employees also had to endure “derogatory comments” that questioned their credentials, that she was promoted in favor of male candidates and that she faced retaliation when she complained about being paid less than her male colleagues.
Plaintiff Michelle Dopak has been working at the aerospace corporation’s headquarters in California since 2017. According to her, complaint, she experienced discrimination early in her career when she was passed over for job opportunities in favor of foreign male candidates. Her male colleagues also spread rumors about female co-workers, claiming that they got their jobs based on their looks. Dopak and two of his female colleagues met with Gwynne Shotwell to complain about both issues — “an action that no male colleague or employee at SpaceX would need to take to justify their hiring and stop such discriminatory practices,” the suit says. . The SpaceX president apparently took no action.
After a reorganization in 2019, the plaintiff was placed under the supervision of a male manager who allegedly pressured her into having sex for years. As a result, when she became pregnant, she said her married boss offered her $100,000 to have an abortion, which she refused. He also accused SpaceX of colluding with his boss and transferring 48,289 shares worth $3,718,253 to his name so he could avoid paying child support.
His complaints did not end there. After getting the promotion she’d been chasing for years, she learned that her male colleague, who was hired at the same time, was getting paid $5,000 more. Company officials she spoke to about the pay difference could not justify it, and allegedly offered her only an extra $2,500 if she would reduce her stock benefits. In the lawsuit, the plaintiff said the offer “sends a message that if you complain at SpaceX, we will simply retaliate against you and find other ways to punish you.”
The lawsuit accuses SpaceX of forcing female employees with sexual harassment and discrimination claims to arbitrate in order to keep them from the public. “SpaceX also tried to coerce and coerce [the plaintiff] Although prohibited from compelling arbitration of such claims, it only submits its claims to arbitration,” the complaint continues.
The plaintiff seeks general, compensatory and consequential damages, including lost wages, earnings and other employee benefits. It also asks the court to prohibit SpaceX from continuing any “unfair and illegal business practices.” SpaceX currently faces another proposed class action a lawsuit that claims it pays women and minorities tens of thousands less than it pays white male workers. National Labor Relations Board in January filed a complaint The lawsuit against SpaceX also accuses Elon Musk of wrongfully firing a group of engineers who criticized him for making crude jokes about sexual abuse allegations against X.
