Former SpaceX Employee Sues Company, Alleging Discrimination and Retaliation

A former SpaceX employee, Douglas Altshuler, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Elon Musk-owned company, alleging disability discrimination, retaliation, and labor law violations. The lawsuit, filed last month in Washington, details a series of incidents that Altshuler claims led to his wrongful termination and caused him significant distress.

Altshuler, a 58-year-old resident of Washington, was hired by SpaceX in June 2023 to handle customer support calls at the company’s Redmond, Washington facility. According to the lawsuit, initially obtained by The Independent, Altshuler performed his job without issue for several months. However, the situation allegedly deteriorated in early 2024 when his direct supervisor began to monitor and criticize his frequent bathroom breaks.

The lawsuit alleges that Altshuler suffers from Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that necessitates frequent and often urgent bathroom visits. Altshuler reportedly provided his supervisor with a doctor’s note explaining his condition and the medical necessity for his bathroom breaks. Despite this disclosure, the supervisor’s alleged harassment continued.

According to the complaint, Altshuler sought and received assurances from two supervisors that he would be granted reasonable accommodations to use the bathroom as needed. However, his direct supervisor allegedly persisted in tracking his bathroom breaks and issuing disciplinary write-ups whenever he was away from his desk for more than 10 minutes.

The lawsuit further alleges that Altshuler escalated the issue to higher-level management at SpaceX, hoping to resolve the situation. However, this action allegedly resulted in retaliation from his direct supervisor during his next performance review. Altshuler claims that the supervisor cited performance deficiencies that had never been brought to his attention before, suggesting a retaliatory motive.

In October 2024, Altshuler was reassigned to a new supervisor. Unfortunately, the change in management did not alleviate the problems, according to the lawsuit. In November, Altshuler alleges that he was potentially exposed to chemicals from industrial parts being dried in the kitchen oven, a space where employees also prepared their meals. He reported the incident to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA and filed a worker’s compensation claim.

Following the OSHA report and worker’s compensation claim, Altshuler alleges that he faced further retaliation. His new supervisor allegedly threatened to fire him for using the bathroom "too often." In early January 2025, Altshuler was informed by SpaceX Human Resources that his concerns about retaliation were unsubstantiated. Shortly thereafter, on January 9, 2025, he was terminated, allegedly for deficient performance.

In addition to the allegations of disability discrimination and retaliation related to his Crohn’s disease, Altshuler’s lawsuit also claims that he was routinely denied meal breaks and proper overtime pay during his 18-month employment at SpaceX.

Altshuler’s lawyers argue that his firing constitutes a clear case of discrimination based on his disability, as well as retaliation for speaking out about it. They also contend that the denial of meal breaks and overtime pay further demonstrates SpaceX’s disregard for employee rights.

"The company’s actions are egregious and in clear violation of the law. Mr. Altshuler intends to seek all legal remedies that are available to him," said Clive Pontusson, a former trial attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and one of Altshuler’s attorneys, in a statement to The Independent.

This is not the first time SpaceX has faced allegations of mistreatment and retaliation from former employees. In January 2024, the National Labor Relations Board NLRB accused SpaceX of illegally firing eight employees after they circulated a letter in 2022 calling for the company to distance itself from Elon Musk’s behavior and comments, including allegations of sexual harassment. These employees have also filed a lawsuit in California State Court against Musk.

The allegations against SpaceX come amid a broader pattern of employee complaints against Elon Musk’s companies. Musk has faced criticism for his management style and treatment of employees at both SpaceX and X, formerly Twitter. Numerous employees at X have been fired since Musk took ownership of the social media company, often under controversial circumstances.

The lawsuit filed by Douglas Altshuler adds to the growing scrutiny of SpaceX’s workplace practices and raises questions about the company’s commitment to employee rights and compliance with labor laws.

The case is likely to draw significant attention due to the high profile of SpaceX and Elon Musk, as well as the serious nature of the allegations. The outcome of the lawsuit could have significant implications for SpaceX’s reputation and its future workplace policies.

Gizmodo reached out to SpaceX for comment regarding the lawsuit but had not received a response by the time of publication. The company’s silence further fuels speculation about the validity of Altshuler’s claims.

The lawsuit seeks damages for lost wages, emotional distress, and other economic losses. Altshuler hopes that the lawsuit will not only provide him with compensation for the harm he has suffered but also bring about positive change in SpaceX’s workplace culture. The case highlights the importance of employers providing reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities and protecting employees from retaliation for speaking out about workplace issues. It also serves as a reminder that employers must comply with labor laws regarding meal breaks and overtime pay.