Former SpaceX Employee Files Lawsuit Alleging Pay Discrimination

Former SpaceX engineer Ashley Foltz has filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Elon Musk’s SpaceX, alleging pay and promotion discrimination based on gender and race. Foltz claims that she was paid $92,000 per year while men with similar qualifications and responsibilities were earning up to $115,000. California law prohibits employers from paying workers less based on their sex, race, or ethnicity for substantially similar work. Foltz discovered the pay discrepancy when SpaceX posted job openings with salary ranges of $95,000 to $115,000.

Under a new California “pay transparency” law, employers are required to disclose salary ranges in job listings. Foltz alleges that SpaceX only raised her pay to $95,000 after being obligated to include this information in job posts. The lawsuit further claims that SpaceX hires women and minorities into lower-level positions to justify lower salaries and promotes men and white employees at a higher rate, exacerbating the pay disparity.

SpaceX has not yet responded to the lawsuit. This is not the first time companies associated with Elon Musk have faced allegations of employment discrimination. In August, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint accusing SpaceX of refusing to hire refugees and asylees without U.S. citizenship. SpaceX has denied these allegations and filed a counter-suit to block the government’s case.

Tesla Inc, where Musk serves as CEO, has also faced accusations of racial and sexual harassment at its facilities. Similarly, X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, is currently facing lawsuits claiming discrimination against women, older workers, and employees with disabilities since Musk acquired the company and laid off half its workforce.

The outcome of Foltz’s lawsuit against SpaceX will shed light on the allegations of pay discrimination within the company. As the case unfolds, it will be interesting to see how SpaceX responds and whether any changes will be implemented to address these concerns.