Employee’s SpaceX lawsuit claims she was subjected to discrimination, sexual abuse

SpaceX discrimination lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Michelle Dopak filed a lawsuit against Space Exploration Technologies Corp., doing business as SpaceX, and related entities.
• Why: Dopak was allegedly subjected to sexual abuse, harassment and discrimination while employed at SpaceX and experienced retaliation after raising concerns about the alleged discrimination.
• Where: The SpaceX lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., better known as SpaceX, ignored discrimination and sexual harassment claims and engaged in retaliation against an employee, according to a recent lawsuit.

Plaintiff Michelle Dopak says she was hired as a production coordinator in 2017 and expressed interest in scheduling. She claims her supervisor encouraged her to take additional courses to develop her skills for the scheduling role and promised he would promote her as soon as an opportunity arose.

When two scheduling positions opened on her supervisor’s team, he “immediately” hired two external male candidates and did not let Dopak apply for the positions, the SpaceX discrimination lawsuit alleges.

Male colleagues also allegedly discriminated against female employees by saying they only got their jobs because of their appearance. Dopak and two other female SpaceX employees reportedly met with the president of SpaceX to complain about being passed up for job opportunities and the “humiliating rumors” being spread by male colleagues.

SpaceX employee claims she was coerced into sexual relationship with supervisor

Following a 2019 SpaceX reorganization, Dopak was assigned a new supervisor who allegedly kissed her without permission and made other sexual comments that made her uncomfortable.

She believed any hope she had for a promotion was “directly tied to … satisfying his sexual desires; without succumbing to his sexual advances, she would not be promoted,” according to the SpaceX lawsuit.

Dopak alleges this new supervisor manipulated her and forced her to have unprotected sex one to two times per week. He ultimately promoted her to a scheduler position in exchange for continued sexual relations, which the SpaceX lawsuit describes as a “quid pro quo relationship.” Dopak claims her career could have been derailed if she did not comply with her supervisor’s alleged advances.

Her supervisor later offered to pay her $100,000 to have an abortion after she became pregnant with his child, the SpaceX employee lawsuit says. Dopak says she refused the offer.

Dopak also says she was paid $5,000 less than a male colleague even though they held the same position and started at SpaceX at the same time and experienced many instances of retaliation by SpaceX after raising concerns about the discrimination she allegedly faced.

The SpaceX employee lawsuit asserts claims for violations of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, Equal Pay Act, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, whistleblower retaliation and other claims.

A SpaceX discrimination lawsuit filed last year alleged the company pays women and minorities less than their male counterparts and promotes them at lower rates.

What do you think of the SpaceX employee discrimination claims? Let us know in the comments.

Dopak is represented by Daniel Valles and Kayla M. Rathjen of Valles Law PC.

The SpaceX discrimination lawsuit is Michelle Dopak v. Space Exploration Technologies Corp. d/b/a SpaceX, et al., Case No. 24STCV005506, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.

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