At least five employees were fired by private rocket company SpaceX after drafting and circulating an open letter criticizing founder Elon Musk and urging startup executives to make the company’s work culture more inclusive, according to two people knowledgeable about the matter.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
The New York Times reported Thursday that SpaceX had fired employees associated with the letter, citing three employees with knowledge of the situation.
The number of employees who had been laid off had not been detailed.
SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell sent an email saying the company had investigated and “ended up with a number of employees involved” with the letter, the New York Times said.
The newspaper said Shotwell’s email said employees involved in circulating the letter had been fired to make other employees feel “uncomfortable, intimidated and harassed and / or angry because the letter was pressuring them to sign something. that does not reflect their views “.
Reuters was unable to confirm this report independently.
The previous open letter to SpaceX executives seen by Reuters had called Musk “distraction and embarrassment” for the company he founded.
In a list of three lawsuits, the letter said, “SpaceX must be quickly and explicitly separated from Elon’s personal brand.”
He added: “Make all leaders equally responsible for making SpaceX a great place to work for everyone” and “define and respond uniformly to all forms of unacceptable behavior.”