Lawsuit filed against SpaceX by ex-manager alleging harassment and retaliation by Elon Musk
In a recent turn of events, SpaceX is embroiled in a lawsuit over allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation brought by Jenna Shumway, a former security manager at the company. Shumway, who joined SpaceX in 2022 and was promoted to senior contractor program security officer, claims that after Daniel Collins, a senior employee, became her supervisor in spring 2024, he created a toxic work environment, blocked her promotion, and gradually removed her responsibilities, ultimately leading to her termination in October 2024.
The lawsuit accuses Collins of sexually harassing multiple women, including inappropriate comments and discriminatory actions such as preventing female employees from performing required security tasks, putting them at risk of non-compliance. Shumway and other female employees repeatedly reported Collins to SpaceX's Human Resources, but the complaints were allegedly ignored, with the company only advising employees to avoid being alone with Collins.
The lawsuit also alleges that Collins violated top-secret government protocols and hid it from officials. This is further supported by an ongoing investigation into Collins for alleged violations of government security protocols related to classified projects.
This case is part of a broader pattern, as SpaceX is also facing other ongoing probes and lawsuits regarding workplace harassment and discrimination. Earlier lawsuits described a hostile work environment that allowed gender-based harassment to persist at SpaceX. Similar claims of bias against female employees have been raised in these earlier lawsuits.
The New York Times report also stated that Collins told employees not to report security clearance violations. The report further claimed that Collins allowed unqualified executives into classified meetings, which is also cited in Shumway's lawsuit.
Neither SpaceX nor Daniel Collins has publicly commented on the lawsuit. However, SpaceX's human resources team did instruct Shumway and others to avoid being alone with Collins.
It's worth noting that this isn't the first time SpaceX has faced legal action over allegations of sexual discrimination. In December 2024, The New York Times reported that SpaceX was being investigated by the government for weak security practices.
In a separate development, Apple accused a former employee of stealing Vision Pro secrets before joining Snap. This incident underscores the importance of maintaining strict security protocols in the tech industry.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/01/technology/spacex-jenna-shumway-lawsuit.html [2] https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/02/spacex-faces-lawsuit-over-allegations-of-sexual-harassment-discrimination.html [3] https://www.reuters.com/technology/spacex-faces-lawsuit-over-allegations-sexual-harassment-discrimination-2024-12-02/ [5] https://www.law360.com/articles/1447020/spacex-faces-sexual-harassment-discrimination-retaliation-lawsuit
- The New York Times article sheds light on a financial burden for SpaceX, as the company faces a lawsuit over allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.
- Meanwhile, in a different general-news story, Apple is grappling with a technology-related issue, accusing a former employee of stealing Vision Pro secrets before joining Snap, emphasizing the need for stringent security protocols in the tech industry.
