According to the New York Times, SpaceX has fired at least five employees involved in drafting a letter describing the company’s CEO as a “distraction and embarrassment.”
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said in an email that the company had opened an investigation and “terminated a number of employees involved” with the letter, the New York Times reported.
The identities of the dismissed employees were not disclosed.
Shotwell’s email stated that the employees were fired because they made other employees feel “uncomfortable, intimidated and bullied, and/or angry because the letter pressured them to sign onto something that did not reflect their views.”
In the controversial letter, employees complained about Musk’s strong presence on social media and how it was distracting them from pursuing the company’s goals.
Employees listed three demands, including that the company quickly and explicitly distance itself from the Elon Musk brand and hold all executives accountable for making SpaceX a great workplace for everyone. The last demand involves defining and uniformly responding to all forms of unacceptable behaviours.”