SpaceX supervisors ‘tracked and monitored’ bathroom breaks of employee with Crohn’s disease, threatened to punish him if more than 10 minutes passed: Suit

A erstwhile SpaceX worker with Crohn’s illness has accused Elon Musk’s aerospace institution of favoritism and harassment for allegedly keeping a strict tab connected his bath breaks utilizing an “electronic timekeeping system” and different methods earlier yet firing him for “deficient performance.”

Douglas Altshuler, 58, filed a favoritism suit past week successful Washington state, claiming his SpaceX higher-ups “tracked and monitored” his restroom habits earlier helium was axed from the institution successful January. The surveillance allegedly included “listening to his calls passim the day” and tracking his enactment tickets, according to Altshuler’s complaint, which was included successful a May 5 notice of removal to national jurisdiction filed by the SpaceX ineligible team.

“In aboriginal 2024, Customer Support Supervisor Josiah Van Hoy (“Van Hoy”) began tracking Mr. Altshuler’s bath breaks and repeatedly criticized Plaintiff for utilizing the bathroom,” the complaint says.

“[SpaceX] besides discriminated against Plaintiff connected the ground of his disablement erstwhile Van Hoy told him helium would person an occurrence if helium was distant from his table for much than 10 minutes,” the ailment aboriginal says.

Van Hoy is not a named suspect successful the case.

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Altshuler claims helium informed his supervisor and astatine slightest 1 different manager that helium has Crohn’s illness and needs to usage the bath each 35 to 45 minutes. He allegedly provided a “doctor’s enactment requesting tenable accommodation owed to his disability” and was initially told his bath entree would not beryllium restricted, according to the complaint.

After experiencing problems with the archetypal supervisor, Altshuler was reassigned to a caller manager, but the 2nd 1 allegedly “threatened to terminate him if helium utilized the bath excessively often,” per the complaint. Altshuler claims some supervisors “bullied and threatened” him connected a play ground implicit his restroom usage earlier helium was yet fired for alleged “deficient performance.”

In summation to his bath interruption allegations, Altshuler believes his termination was besides related to information concerns and different issues helium raised successful the workplace past year.

“On oregon astir November 19, 2024 … Plaintiff reported to OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] that helium had witnessed concern parts being dried successful the room oven wherever employees navigator their food,” the ailment says. “On oregon astir December 19, 2024, Plaintiff sent an email … complaining astir disablement favoritism and retaliation.”

Altshuler’s lawyers accidental helium was discriminated against “on the ground of his disability” and fired connected Jan. 9. They are seeking damages for nonaccomplishment of enjoyment of life, symptom and suffering, intelligence anguish, affectional distress, and humiliation. Attempts by Law&Crime to scope them and SpaceX’s ineligible squad for remark connected Thursday were unsuccessful.