X seeks arbitration in ex-security head firing lawsuit

Update:

• X Corp., formerly known as Twitter, says it did not forfeit its right to arbitration with Alan Rosa, former head of global information technology and information security, because it refused to pay half of the arbitration fees in the matter.
• Defendants Elon Musk and Steve Davis asked the judge to remove them from the case due to a lack of jurisdiction from the court and because Rosa’s allegations are against the company, not the individuals, the motion to dismiss claims.
• X claims Rosa signed a fee-sharing provision in an arbitration agreement he signed in 2022.

Twitter cuts lawsuit overview: 

• Who: X Corp., formerly known as Twitter, and CEO Elon Musk are facing a lawsuit over the firing of Alan Rosa, the company’s former head of Global Information Technology and Information Security. 
• Why: Rosa claims Twitter violated several laws in his firing and has refused to pay the required fees to begin arbitration proceedings.
• Where: The Twitter security lawsuit was filed in federal court in New Jersey.

(Dec. 12, 2023)

X Corp., formerly known as Twitter, and CEO Elon Musk are facing a lawsuit over the firing of the company’s former head of Global Information Technology and Information Security, Alan Rosa, and avoiding arbitration in the matter.

Rosa is accusing Twitter of breach of contract, unlawful termination, retaliation and violation of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.

Rosa advanced the claim into an individual lawsuit after Twitter did not respond to attempts to begin arbitration.

“Pursuant to the JAMS (Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services) employment Minimum Standards, an employee who brings an arbitration case at JAMS must pay an initial filing fee and all other arbitration fees, including fees to pay the arbitrator, must be borne by the employer,” the Twitter security lawsuit says.

JAMS advised the parties on Aug. 21, Sept. 20 and Dec. 4 that the case would be closed if payment was not made. 

Rosa objected to Twitter cuts of security programs, Twitter lawsuit says

Rosa began as Twitter’s Head of Global Information Technology and Information Security on Jan. 24, 2022 and was terminated on Dec. 6, 2022 during the Twitter cuts.

After Musk bought Twitter, he asked the company to cut a vulnerability management software for the company’s ethical hacking program “HackerOne,” along with security programs and physical security that Rosa objected to and believed would violate court mandates, the Twitter cuts lawsuit says.

Elon Musk asked a Delaware federal court to dismiss a complaint accusing him and X, formerly known as Twitter, of misleading terminated employees and failing to pay them at least $500 million in severance. 

Do you think that Twitter broke the law in its post-sale firings? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Bruce L. Atkins of Deutsch Atkins and Kleinfeldt P.C.

The Twitter cuts lawsuit is Rosa v. X Corp., et al, Case No. 2:23-cv-22908-BRM-AME, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

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