Additionally, the judge rejected the plaintiffs’ arguments that statements made by Musk and statistical data suggested a pattern of discrimination. One of the more unusual allegations—Musk’s decision to paint over the letter “W” in the “Twitter” sign—was also dismissed as irrelevant to the employment decisions.
Plaintiffs Given Opportunity to Amend
Judge Tigar provided Strifling and Turkal 21 days to file an amended complaint that better details their claims. While the workers say their job performances met the company’s expectations, the court found they did not sufficiently allege that they were directly impacted by the layoffs, nor did they demonstrate that male employees were treated more favorably.
The workers’ initial complaint claimed that women bore a heavier burden during the layoffs in November 2022, which followed Musk’s mandate for employees to work longer hours. Strifling, a senior client partner lead, and Turkal, a staff site reliability engineer, argued that women were disproportionately affected due to caregiving responsibilities.
X Wins Dismissal of Sex Bias Suit : Legal Battle Continues
Shannon Liss-Riordan of Lichten & Liss-Riordan PC, representing the plaintiffs, expressed intent to amend the complaint and continue pursuing the case. “We are proud to be seeking justice for former Twitter employees whose rights were violated by Elon Musk in so many ways when he acquired the company in 2022,” Liss-Riordan said.
