A senior executive at rocket maker SpaceX said she “personally” believes the sexual harassment charges against Elon Musk the company’s f...
A senior executive at rocket maker SpaceX said she “personally” believes the sexual harassment charges against Elon Muskthe company’s founder and chief executive, were fake, according to a company-wide email, obtained by The New York Times.
In the email sent on Friday, Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX, said she had worked closely with Mr. Musk for 20 years and had “never seen or heard of anything resembling these allegations.” She added: “Anyone who knows Elon like me knows he will never drive or condone this alleged inappropriate behavior.”
Ms Shotwell was talking about an article by Initiated last week who said a flight attendant said Mr Musk offered him a sex massage on a flight to London in 2016. The flight attendant said he also exposed to her and had offered her a horse, according to the article, the details of which have not been independently verified by The New York Times.
The unidentified woman hired a labor attorney in 2018 and filed a complaint with SpaceX’s human resources department, according to Insider. SpaceX settled later that year, paying the woman $250,000 in return for a promise not to pursue the claims.
Mr Musk said last week on Twitter that the charges were “completely wrong.”
A SpaceX spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Ms. Shotwell’s email, which was previously reported by CNBC. Two people who saw the memo shared it with The Times.
Read Ms. Shotwell’s email to employees below:
The SpaceX team –
I want to directly address the story that mentions our company and our CEO with serious allegations. Let me be clear – SpaceX does not tolerate harassment – I say ZERO tolerance. We firmly believe that everyone at SpaceX deserves to be treated with respect. And every accusation of harassment is taken very seriously, independently of who is involved. HR thoroughly investigates all complaints that come to their attention and takes appropriate disciplinary action. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy or our workplace, please contact me, your manager or your human resources representative.
Admittedly, this is a difficult subject to navigate. It’s natural to have questions and want a definitive answer. For confidentiality reasons, I will never comment on legal matters involving employment issues. However, what I can share is that Elon has made a public statement via Twitter that the allegations are completely untrue. Personally, I believe the allegations are false; not because I work for Elon, but because I have worked closely with him for 20 years and have never seen or heard of anything resembling these allegations. Anyone who knows Elon like me, knows that he will never drive or condone this alleged inappropriate behavior.
I believe SpaceX is an amazing place to work because of you. And I remain committed to making sure it’s a place where all employees can do their best.
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