SpaceX Facing Another Lawsuit From Female Employee

Topline

A SpaceX employee filed suit against the company on Tuesday for sexual harassment and gender bias retaliation, alleging her supervisor pressured her into having an affair and offered her money for an abortion, and the company didn’t compensate her fairly—marking the latest lawsuit alleging discrimination at the aerospace company.

A new lawsuit filed Tuesday in California from a SpaceX employee alleged discrimination, harassment … [+] and retaliation.

AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

Michelle Dopak, a production coordinator for SpaceX, alleged in the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court her supervisor pressured her into a sexual relationship and, when that resulted in pregnancy, offered her $100,000 to have an abortion.

Dopak alleged that after she declined to accept the money, the aerospace company colluded against her and allowed the supervisor to take $3.7 million in stock out of his name so he didn’t have to pay child support.

The suit also alleged company leadership paid her less than men with comparable jobs, ignored complaints of bias against women, and was trying to get Dopak to quit by giving her more work and pressuring her to return to work early after taking a medical leave.

Dopak is seeking an unspecified amount of damages and is suing for discrimination, harassment, retaliation and violation of California law.

Forbes has reached out to SpaceX for comment.

Forbes Valuation

Forbes estimates Musk is worth $195.8 billion as of Wednesday afternoon, making him the second-wealthiest person in the world.

Key Background

SpaceX is already facing a number of lawsuits from employees and former employees alleging pay discrimination and other workplace concerns—though SpaceX has denied wrongdoing. Last August, the Justice Department sued SpaceX, saying it discriminated against and wouldn’t hire refugees or people seeking asylum, though that case is currently held up in court. In October, a female engineer accused the company of paying women and minority employees less than male and white workers, saying she made $23,000 less than male counterparts. In January, the National Labor Relations Board alleged that SpaceX illegally fired eight employees who wrote a letter outlining workplace concerns and circulated it around to other employees.

Tangent

SpaceX isn’t Musk’s only company facing lawsuits. Tesla was sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in September for allowing “widespread and ongoing racial harassment of its Black employees.” And just this week, former executives at Twitter sued Musk—who has owned the platform since 2022 and renamed it X—for more than $128 million, alleging the billionaire fired them after taking over X and never intended to pay them severance pay to which they were entitled.