In a major development, eight former employees of SpaceX have filed a lawsuit against the company and its CEO, Elon Musk, accusing them of illegal termination after they raised concerns about rampant sexual harassment and gender discrimination within the company. The employees allege that Musk's behavior created a workplace culture that encouraged inappropriate conduct.

The lawsuit, filed in a state court in California, comes in the same week as a scathing report by The Wall Street Journal, revealing that Musk had engaged in a sexual relationship with a college intern at SpaceX. This revelation further fueled the employees' claims, as they argue that Musk's actions violated the company's "No Asshole" and zero-tolerance sexual harassment policies.

The former employees had previously penned an open letter to Musk, accusing him of failing to fulfill the company's anti-harassment policies. However, shortly after its publication, at least five of the letter's authors were fired by SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, who claimed that they had made other workers uncomfortable and pressured them to endorse the letter against their will.

The lawsuit sheds light on a well-documented work culture at SpaceX that has been plagued by unprofessional behavior. It reveals that this is not an isolated issue within SpaceX alone, as Musk's other ventures, particularly Tesla, have also faced similar accusations. In 2021, former mission integration engineer Ashley Kosak published an essay detailing a workplace environment so steeped in sexism that she concluded the only solution for women was to leave. Kosak alleged numerous incidents of sexual advances, non-consensual touching, and even trespassing, all of which were reportedly mishandled by the company's HR department.

Furthermore, Insider reported that SpaceX had paid off a flight attendant $250,000 to keep her silent after she accused Musk of indecent exposure and solicitation. This payout further fueled discontent among employees, with at least 400 of them signing a letter expressing their frustration and embarrassment caused by Musk's behavior.

Musk himself has been known to make sexist remarks, including jokes about women's physical characteristics and expressing opposition to gender expression. His Twitter activity has also been criticized, including deleted tweets where he accused his ex-wives and Senator Elizabeth Warren.

The eight former employees involved in writing the open letter have now taken legal action, seeking damages to compensate for lost wages, earnings, employee benefits, and emotional distress. This lawsuit represents the beginning of what is expected to be a protracted and contentious legal battle unless a settlement is reached.

The lawsuit highlights serious allegations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination within SpaceX, painting a troubling picture of the work culture under the leadership of its mercurial CEO, Elon Musk. As the legal proceedings unfold, the spotlight remains on whether justice will be served for the affected employees and if significant changes will be implemented to address these systemic issues within the company.