Lawsuit Filed Against SpaceX and Executive for Discrimination and Harassment
A former senior security manager at SpaceX has launched a lawsuit against the company and a key employee, citing claims of discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and violations of security protocols.
Jenna Shumway, who served as a security officer under SpaceX’s previous senior contractor program, has directed her lawsuit at Daniel Collins, a former Department of Defense official brought in to manage security compliance for the company’s government projects. The legal action, initiated in late May 2023 in Los Angeles County Superior Court and later transferred to federal court, alleges that Shumway faced significant harassment and retaliation during her tenure.
Shumway, who began her role in 2022, was promoted to security officer for the Senior Contractors Program. However, after Collins started in his supervisory role in spring 2024, her workplace took a turn for the worse. She claims Collins removed her from liability for several months yet continued to hold her responsible until late October 2024.
The lawsuit also contends that Collins’ alleged harassment extended to other female employees at SpaceX. Instances of discrimination reportedly involved prohibiting female staff from performing crucial security tasks—effectively placing them at risk of non-compliance—along with other inappropriate behaviors, such as leering at one employee during a meeting and making unwelcome invitations for drinks after work.
Shumway and other female employees have supposedly raised concerns with SpaceX’s HR department, but the company disregarded these complaints and suggested that staff avoid being alone with Collins.
Beyond the harassment claims, Shumway asserts that Collins breached Top Secret Protocols and failed to disclose these issues to the government. This aligns with a December 2024 report stating that SpaceX is under federal scrutiny for inadequate security measures. Furthermore, Collins reportedly reported a security clearance violation and permitted executives to attend classified meetings without the required clearance, leading to multiple federal reviews of the company’s security practices.
This lawsuit is not SpaceX’s first encounter with legal challenges surrounding claims of sexual discrimination and a hostile work environment. The company is currently also facing investigations from California’s Civil Rights Bureau and the National Labor Relations Board regarding similar allegations.
