SpaceX News 2017: Former Technician on Safety Concerns, Files Wrongful Termination Suit
A former SpaceX technician filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination against the company. In the complaint lodged by Justin Blasdell, who worked for SpaceX from November 2010 up to April 2014, the company is placing human lives at risk with their disregard for testing procedures.
Blasdell's case is being framed by his lawyer, Carney Shegerian, as a case of a concerned employee fired over job-related comments which did not sit well with management. In a press release from the law firm as quoted by Business Wire, Shegerian said: "What we've got here is a classic whistleblower case where an honest, hard-working test technician has been spurned for doing his job diligently," as part of their opening statement at the trial conducted on Tuesday, May 23.
Their case alleged that Blasdell's ethical recommendations were not welcomed by his supervisors, and it led to what they're describing as an "unceremonious, retaliatory, wrongful termination of our client," as Shegerian's statement put it.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Blasdell's legal counsel claimed that SpaceX was cutting corners in their whole production site for the company's rockets, especially when handling the inventory of their equipment. They alleged that SpaceX failed to indicate serial numbers and identifying marks on parts used on their rockets, making it impossible for Blasdell to guarantee which vital rocket components are of sufficient quality to provide safety to the crew onboard.
In escalating his concerns to the SpaceX management, Blasdell claimed he was eventually able to secure a meeting with company president Gwen Shotwell, and even a separate meeting with Chief Executive Elon Musk, back in 2014, according to RT.
The trial is expected to continue for another couple of weeks, after which the jury for the Los Angeles state court will decide if Blasdell's firing was wrongful or not. SpaceX lawyers were quick to dismiss Blasdell's allegations, presenting counter evidence that the former technician became increasingly hostile and failed to perform his duties in his stay with the company.
