Tesla fired the female engineer who earlier this year publicly made claims about “unwanted and pervasive harassment” at the electric carmaker, according to The Guardian. Tesla says it was justified in firing the engineer, AJ Vandermeyden, because her accusations were false, but Vandermeyden’s lawyers allege that it amounts to retaliation.
Vandermeyden’s lawyers allege that it amounts to retaliation
Vandermeyden, who was hired by Tesla in April 2013, said she found herself the subject of “unwanted and pervasive harassment” by the mostly male staff, including “inappropriate language, whistling, and cat calls,” according to the lawsuit. Despite performing work “equal in skill, effort, and responsibility,” Vandermeyden claims she was paid less than her male colleagues. Vandermeyden alleges she raised concerns about “inadequacies in the quality testing of cars,” but that she was ignored by her male superiors, and her attempts to implement solutions were thwarted.
Vandermeyden filed her lawsuit against Tesla last fall, but only spoke out publicly last February in an article published in The Guardian. At the time, she said she was concerned that the lawsuit would result in her eventual dismissal.
Tesla confirmed Vandermeyden’s firing in a statement to The Verge, saying it had conducted an independent, third-party review of her claims and determined that they were false. “Despite repeatedly receiving special treatment at the expense of others, Ms. Vandermeyden nonetheless chose to pursue a miscarriage of justice by suing Tesla and falsely attacking our company in the press,” a spokesperson said. “After we carefully considered the facts on multiple occasions and were absolutely convinced that Ms. Vandermeyden’s claims were illegitimate, we had no choice but to end her employment at Tesla.”