01-11-2022
Ashley Kosak published a detailed description of her experience as a SpaceX intern on the Lioness website. Referring to SpaceX as the “leading engineering company” in the world, she said she started there as an intern in 2017. The first incident of sexually offensive conduct began just a few weeks into her internship when another intern “grabbed [her] butt” while she was washing dishes. The interns lived in community housing. She reported the incident to a supervisor, but to her knowledge, the supervisor did not share it with Human Resources. She asserted that during the next two years she worked as an intern, many men made sexual advances toward her. One male employee allegedly ran his hand over her shirt from her waist to her chest. She reported the conduct but never heard back. Kosak said, “Given my tenuous position at the company, I felt powerless.” Kosak did earn a permanent position and became a mission integration engineer. After becoming an employee, Kosak observed men at SpaceX “hug women without consent, stare at women while they work, and interpret every company-related social event as an opportunity to date (or hit on) women in the office.” She complained but said the company refused to act. Kosak recently quit her SpaceX job. Since leaving, Kosak said she heard that SpaceX will train interns on how to report harassment, but she has not heard that the harassers faced any repercussions.
The New York Times published an article about SpaceX interns the same week that Kosak published her essay. The newspaper spoke to three other former female interns who confirmed they also either experienced or witnessed sexual harassment while at SpaceX.
SpaceX has not yet issued a statement in response to the allegations. However, an email sent to employees asserted that SpaceX will conduct internal and independent audits of its human resources department. The company further stated it would “rigorously investigate all harassment or discrimination claims.”