Latest news with #DouglasAltshuler
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Who is Douglas Altshuler? Elon Musk's former SpaceX employee sues his company after being fired for frequent bathroom breaks
Douglas Altshuler , a former SpaceX employee, has sued the aerospace company in federal court, alleging he was discriminated against because of his medical condition, Crohn's disease, and retaliated against for reporting safety issues. Altshuler, hired in 2023, claims that his frequent need for restroom visits was not adequately accommodated, resulting in punitive measures and threats of discharge. The suit also raises concerns about workplace safety, such as exposure to hazardous chemicals and unsafe equipment handling. Who is Douglas Altshuler Douglas Altshuler, a 58-year-old former Space worker, has filed the aerospace company with a federal court lawsuit. Working in 2023, Altshuler states he was deprived of adequate accommodations for his sickness, including bathroom break restrictions, and was penalized for disclosing safety violations. His case raises questions about how large tech firms address employee health accommodations and whistleblower protection, questioning whether corporate policies are sufficient in accommodating workers with medical conditions as well as protecting whistleblowers who reveal workplace hazards. Altshuler, who suffers from Crohn's disease, used to work at SpaceX's Redmond, Washington headquarters, which manufactures components for the Starlink satellite network. Crohn's disease leads to frequent and urgent bowel movements, necessitating that Altshuler visit the restroom every 35 to 45 minutes, sometimes as many as 14 times in an eight-hour shift. Even after submitting medical documentation, he alleges SpaceX managers refused to accommodate his needs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Ukraine (Take A Look At The Prices) Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo Altshuler faced warnings for frequent bathroom use While two supervisors at first informed Altshuler that his use of the restroom would not be limited, the suit alleges that this agreement was not maintained. One supervisor supposedly started timing his bathroom breaks and punishing him if they lasted more than 10 minutes. He was supposedly informed that he could be fired for using the restroom "too frequently." This practice of monitoring, the lawsuit claims, is contrary to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandates that employers provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities, unless providing such accommodations would cause an undue hardship. Altshuler was given written warnings, known as "occurrences," for his use of the bathroom, the complaint alleges. These warnings were given despite the earlier assurances and his regular filing of medical records. Altshuler raised safety concerns, claims retaliation Besides the disability-related complaints, Altshuler also complained about workplace safety at the Redmond plant. As per the legal document, he complained of possible exposure to harmful chemicals and accused industrial components of being dried in a kitchen oven—a clear disregard for safety procedures and food handling regulations. Following his reports, Altshuler says that he endured retaliatory acts, which consisted of unreasonable unfavorable performance critiques and ongoing oversight by previous superiors, after having been remodeled to be in a separate crew. The grievance asserts that SpaceX actions equated to unlawful retaliation due to protected whistleblowing activity as contemplated by federal safety and labor law. Altshuler fired shortly after filing complaints, lawsuit claims Altshuler was eventually fired from his job in January 2025, only days after the company's human resources department dismissed his official internal complaints as "unsubstantiated." His firing, occurring shortly after expressing both disability and safety concerns, is a mainstay of the lawsuit. His attorneys, Clive Pontusson—a former U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) trial attorney—state that the dismissal was not merely unwarranted but also illegal under federal protection. "Employees must be permitted to voice their concerns regarding work-site safety without threat of retribution, " said Pontusson in a news release. Altshuler seeks damages for disability discrimination and retaliation Altshuler's lawsuit alleges compensatory and punitive damages for: Disability discrimination: for not making a reasonable accommodation for his Crohn's disease. Retaliation: for retaliatory actions after complaining about health and safety concerns. Wrongful termination: on the purported basis of disability and protected activity under federal employment laws. Also Read | 'We want to create a brain for the world…' OpenAI CEO Sam Altman outlines bold future with nonprofit restructuring plans
Hindustan Times
11-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Golf Course proximity increases Parkinson's disease risk by 126%; Here's why
A new study has revealed that those who reside within a mile of golf courses had a 126 percent higher risk of acquiring Parkinson's disease than people who live more than six miles away. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the areas most affected were those that shared drinking water sources with water utilized close to golf courses. This suggests that the number of Parkinson's cases may be influenced through pesticides used on golf courses, researchers stated. Parkinson's disease is a neurological condition that, according to the Parkinson's Foundation, affects roughly 1.1 million people in the US and 10 million people worldwide. While treatments are available for Parkinson's disease, there is no cure for it. The experts used data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on golf course locations across the US and 224 water service areas spread across 27 counties in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The association between case frequency and location was studied using data from 711 municipal wells from the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office. Also Read: Who is Douglas Altshuler? Man with Crohn's disease sues Elon Musk's SpaceX, here's why The researchers found 450 incident cases of Parkinson's disease between 1991 and 2015 in Olmsted County, Minnesota. 'The odds of PD were relatively constant within close proximity to a golf course and decreased linearly as distance increased; individuals living farther from a golf course had reduced odds of PD, decreasing relative to the distance from the nearest golf course,' the researchers explained. According to the Parkinson's Foundation, regions like the Rust Belt, which encompasses portions of the Midwest, have seen a surge in cases. The foundation also reports high rates of cases in Florida, Central Pennsylvania, Southeastern Texas, and Southern California. California recorded the most number of Parkinson's fatalities with 4,289, while Utah reported the highest rate of Parkinson's mortality at 12.4%, as per the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Mayo Clinic states that Parkinson's disease affects the nerve system and causes symptoms including stiff muscles, tremors, and delayed movement. Men are 1.25 times more likely than women to be diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which is thought to be triggered by a mix of external and hereditary factors. Some of the initial signs of Parkinson's disease included walking difficulties, soft or slurred speech, and a lack of facial expression.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SpaceX Employee With Crohn's Disease Canned Over Excessive Bathroom Use
Surveillance, bullying, and the timing of bathroom breaks are all in a day's work at SpaceX. That's according to Douglas Altshuler, 58, a Seattle man who is suing Elon Musk's rocket company, his former employer, alleging a litany of wild OSHA violations at the company and personal discrimination on account of his Crohn's disease. The chronic bowel disease causes frequent and unexpected, uh, launches—as often as every 35 minutes, or 14 times within an eight-hour shift. Despite the company's awareness of his medical condition, and a medical note from his doctor, Altshuler was served a formal disciplinary notice about spending more than 10 minutes in the bathroom, The Independent reports. However, Altshuler's federal discrimination lawsuit alleges significant and serious workplace legal violations, suggesting he may have been terminated for raising issues with the company's practices. These include allegations that rocket parts were dried in ovens used by employees to cook their meals and that staff were retaliated against for taking time off following workplace injuries. Altshuler, who worked as part of the customer support team, underwent medical leave following 'chemical exposure' and claims that his termination came shortly after notifying OSHA of safety concerns in the workplace. Altshuler had his phone calls monitored, his movements in the office tracked with an 'electronic timekeeping system,' and was denied meal breaks after five hours of work. He also did not receive the additional compensation he was entitled to for working overtime and claims he was 'bullied and threatened' throughout his professional tenure. Altshuler's disability led to a series of back-and-forth communications with his superiors, resulting in what he described as a 'threatening and argumentative' performance review before ultimately being fired in January. The filing offers a window into the work practices of the company headed by Musk, who has been outspoken in his celebration of excessive work conditions. 'DOGE is working 120 hours a week,' Musk tweeted in March. He has also previously railed against working from home, something he described as 'morally wrong' in 2023. It's not the first time that SpaceX's workplace practices have been scrutinized. In 2023, Reuters revealed there had been at least 600 unreported workplace-related injuries at the company in less than a decade. These included crushed limbs, amputations, and even one death. Altshuler himself is seeking compensation and damages at a cost to be determined by a jury. The Daily Beast has reached out to both SpaceX and Altshuler's attorneys for comment.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Fired SpaceX employee with Crohn's disease says bosses timed his bathroom breaks
A former SpaceX employee who suffers from Crohn's disease claims supervisors monitored his restroom use, timing each toilet break and issuing a formal reprimand if he wasn't back within 10 minutes. That's according to a federal discrimination lawsuit obtained by The Independent, which says Douglas Altshuler's gastrointestinal condition makes it impossible for him to last more than 35 to 45 minutes without a trip to the lavatory – meaning as many as 14 times over the course of an eight-hour shift. But not only would the 58-year-old Altshuler be disciplined for taking longer than his bosses deemed necessary, they brazenly 'threatened termination if [he] used the bathroom too often,' the lawsuit contends. People living with Crohn's 'often suffer from debilitating urgency to use a restroom immediately, or risk having an embarrassing accident,' according to the nonprofit Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. After Altshuler went to management about the issue, complete with a doctor's note outlining his debilitating ailment, his suit says they dismissed his grievance as 'unsubstantiated.' When Altshuler pushed back on the seeming lack of concern for his physical well-being, the suit says he was subsequently let go for 'alleged deficient performance.' Altshuler's suit also takes aim the Elon Musk owned SpaceX's business and safety practices, accusing the company of denying him proper meal breaks, shorting his pay, exposing him to toxic chemicals, and, in one instance that he reported to both state and federal authorities, he 'witnessed industrial parts being dried in the kitchen oven where employees cook their food.' Lawyer Clive Pontusson, a former trial attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, is representing Altshuler in the case. He said SpaceX has 'a legal responsibility' to accommodate workers' disabilities. The law says that an employee has a right to ask their employer for a reasonable accommodation for a disability, 'without fear that their job will be threatened or taken away,' Pontusson told The Independent. 'The law also says that employees should be able to raise concerns about workplace safety without fear of retaliation,' he said, noting that government regulators 'eventually substantiated many of Mr. Altshuler's concerns about an unsafe work environment at SpaceX.' A SpaceX spokesperson and the attorney defending the company against Altshuler's lawsuit did not respond to requests for comment. Altshuler began working at SpaceX, one of the numerous entities headed up by Musk, the erratic billionaire and Donald Trump's 'First Buddy,' on June 2023, where he was assigned to answer customer support calls at its Redmond, Washington, facility, according to his complaint. The Redmond campus includes a factory where components are assembled for Starlink, the SpaceX unit that provides mobile broadband service by way of a network of satellites put into orbit aboard the company's rockets. The job seemed fine until early 2024, when Altshuler's supervisor 'began tracking Mr. Altshuler's bathroom breaks and repeatedly criticized [him] for using the bathroom,' the complaint states. In response, it says Altshuler provided the supervisor with a letter from his physician requesting a reasonable accommodation due to his Crohn's, namely, permission to use the bathroom every 35 to 45 minutes. The supervisor acknowledged that Altshuler had a legitimate disability, and assured him that 'he would never restrict [his] restroom use,' the complaint continues. Further, it goes on, a second manager gave Altshuler his word that the company would not 'question or track his bathroom usage.' The SpaceX Human Resources department followed up by asking Altshuler to fill out reasonable accommodation request forms, according to the complaint. However, since Altshuler had been informed by supervision that he would be free to use the toilet as needed, the complaint says he told HR that he did not need to formalize things 'because leadership confirmed that his bathroom use would not be restricted.' Yet, according to Altshuler, the fragile peace didn't hold for long. His supervisor soon went back to monitoring his bathroom breaks, and, the complaint alleges, would give Altshuler an 'occurrence' – that is, an adverse write-up – if he was away from his desk for more than 10 minutes, the complaint states. So Altshuler went to his boss's bosses to report his ongoing predicament, according to the complaint. They asked for details, which Altshuler provided in an email, the complaint says. Still, it alleges, higher-ups 'responded with confusion.' When it came time for Altshuler's next performance review, his 'threatening and argumentative' supervisor, apparently upset over Altshuler having escalated the bathroom matter up the chain of command, allegedly retaliated by giving him an unsatisfactory appraisal that included 'alleged performance deficiencies which were never brought to [Altshuler's] attention before,' the complaint states. In October 2024, Altshuler was reassigned to a new supervisor, according to the complaint. Nevertheless, it says his old supervisor still continued to listen in on Altshuler's customer calls throughout the day and kept watch over his support tickets. It felt to Altshuler that he was being bullied, so he again notified HR about what was going on, the complaint states. That November, Altshuler was forced to file a workers' compensation claim and take three weeks of medical leave due to a debilitating 'chemical exposure' on the job, according to the complaint, which says he then notified the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) about the incident. Altshuler also told OSHA and the Washington Department of Labor and Industries about the SpaceX employee he claimed to have seen drying industrial components in the breakroom oven, the complaint states. When Altshuler returned to work, bathroom visits once again became a point of contention, his complaint alleges. This time, it says, Altshuler's new supervisor threatened to fire him if he used the toilet 'too often.' In mid-December, Altshuler went to the head of HR with his grievances, according to the complaint. He had now been working at SpaceX for some 18 months, and his managers were still making his life miserable on a constant basis, the complaint states. It says Altshuler additionally revealed to HR that he, in fact, was the one who had informed government regulators about the alleged safety problems. On January 6, 2025, HR emailed Altshuler with their findings, telling him that 'his concerns… were unsubstantiated,' according to the complaint. The same day, he contacted SpaceX's HR chief, upset that the company had 'dismissed his claims as being without merit despite the evidence he presented,' the complaint says. Three days later, SpaceX fired Altshuler for 'deficient performance,' according to the complaint. The multiple grievances Altshuler reported to SpaceX 'regarding discrimination, retaliation and safety issues, [his] request for reasonable accommodation, and [his] workers' compensation claim were motivating factors in the decision to terminate [his] employment,' the complaint states. It says the ordeal caused Altshuler mental anguish, humiliation, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Broadly speaking, Pontusson, Altshuler's attorney, told The Independent, 'The company's actions are egregious and in clear violation of the law. Mr. Altshuler intends to seek all legal remedies that are available to him.' Altshuler is now seeking economic damages for back pay, front pay, lost benefits, and medical expenses in an amount to be determined by a jury, along with actual, compensatory, consequential, incidental and exemplary damages for disability discrimination, retaliation, failure to accommodate, wrongful termination and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The Independent
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
SpaceX employee with Crohn's disease says bosses tracked and limited his bathroom use
A former SpaceX employee who suffers from Crohn's disease claims supervisors monitored his restroom use, timing each toilet break and issuing a formal reprimand if he wasn't back within 10 minutes. That's according to a federal discrimination lawsuit obtained by The Independent, which says Douglas Altshuler's gastrointestinal condition makes it impossible for him to last more than 35 to 45 minutes without a trip to the lavatory – meaning as many as 14 times over the course of an eight-hour shift. But not only would the 58-year-old Altshuler be disciplined for taking longer than his bosses deemed necessary, they brazenly 'threatened termination if [he] used the bathroom too often,' the lawsuit contends. People living with Crohn's 'often suffer from debilitating urgency to use a restroom immediately, or risk having an embarrassing accident,' according to the nonprofit Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. After Altshuler went to management about the issue, complete with a doctor's note outlining his debilitating ailment, his suit says they dismissed his grievance as 'unsubstantiated.' When Altshuler pushed back on the seeming lack of concern for his physical well-being, the suit says he was subsequently let go for 'alleged deficient performance.' Altshuler's suit also takes aim the Elon Musk owned SpaceX's business and safety practices, accusing the company of denying him proper meal breaks, shorting his pay, exposing him to toxic chemicals, and, in one instance that he reported to both state and federal authorities, he 'witnessed industrial parts being dried in the kitchen oven where employees cook their food.' Lawyer Clive Pontusson, a former trial attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, is representing Altshuler in the case. He said SpaceX has 'a legal responsibility' to accommodate workers' disabilities. The law says that an employee has a right to ask their employer for a reasonable accommodation for a disability, 'without fear that their job will be threatened or taken away,' Pontusson told The Independent. 'The law also says that employees should be able to raise concerns about workplace safety without fear of retaliation,' he said, noting that government regulators 'eventually substantiated many of Mr. Altshuler's concerns about an unsafe work environment at SpaceX.' A SpaceX spokesperson and the attorney defending the company against Altshuler's lawsuit did not respond to requests for comment. Altshuler began working at SpaceX, one of the numerous entities headed up by Musk, the erratic billionaire and Donald Trump's 'First Buddy,' on June 2023, where he was assigned to answer customer support calls at its Redmond, Washington, facility, according to his complaint. The Redmond campus includes a factory where components are assembled for Starlink, the SpaceX unit that provides mobile broadband service by way of a network of satellites put into orbit aboard the company's rockets. The job seemed fine until early 2024, when Altshuler's supervisor 'began tracking Mr. Altshuler's bathroom breaks and repeatedly criticized [him] for using the bathroom,' the complaint states. In response, it says Altshuler provided the supervisor with a letter from his physician requesting a reasonable accommodation due to his Crohn's, namely, permission to use the bathroom every 35 to 45 minutes. The supervisor acknowledged that Altshuler had a legitimate disability, and assured him that 'he would never restrict [his] restroom use,' the complaint continues. Further, it goes on, a second manager gave Altshuler his word that the company would not 'question or track his bathroom usage.' The SpaceX Human Resources department followed up by asking Altshuler to fill out reasonable accommodation request forms, according to the complaint. However, since Altshuler had been informed by supervision that he would be free to use the toilet as needed, the complaint says he told HR that he did not need to formalize things 'because leadership confirmed that his bathroom use would not be restricted.' Yet, according to Altshuler, the fragile peace didn't hold for long. His supervisor soon went back to monitoring his bathroom breaks, and, the complaint alleges, would give Altshuler an 'occurrence' – that is, an adverse write-up – if he was away from his desk for more than 10 minutes, the complaint states. So Altshuler went to his boss's bosses to report his ongoing predicament, according to the complaint. They asked for details, which Altshuler provided in an email, the complaint says. Still, it alleges, higher-ups 'responded with confusion.' When it came time for Altshuler's next performance review, his 'threatening and argumentative' supervisor, apparently upset over Altshuler having escalated the bathroom matter up the chain of command, allegedly retaliated by giving him an unsatisfactory appraisal that included 'alleged performance deficiencies which were never brought to [Altshuler's] attention before,' the complaint states. In October 2024, Altshuler was reassigned to a new supervisor, according to the complaint. Nevertheless, it says his old supervisor still continued to listen in on Altshuler's customer calls throughout the day and kept watch over his support tickets. It felt to Altshuler that he was being bullied, so he again notified HR about what was going on, the complaint states. That November, Altshuler was forced to file a workers' compensation claim and take three weeks of medical leave due to a debilitating 'chemical exposure' on the job, according to the complaint, which says he then notified the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) about the incident. Altshuler also told OSHA and the Washington Department of Labor and Industries about the SpaceX employee he claimed to have seen drying industrial components in the breakroom oven, the complaint states. When Altshuler returned to work, bathroom visits once again became a point of contention, his complaint alleges. This time, it says, Altshuler's new supervisor threatened to fire him if he used the toilet 'too often.' In mid-December, Altshuler went to the head of HR with his grievances, according to the complaint. He had now been working at SpaceX for some 18 months, and his managers were still making his life miserable on a constant basis, the complaint states. It says Altshuler additionally revealed to HR that he, in fact, was the one who had informed government regulators about the alleged safety problems. On January 6, 2025, HR emailed Altshuler with their findings, telling him that 'his concerns… were unsubstantiated,' according to the complaint. The same day, he contacted SpaceX's HR chief, upset that the company had 'dismissed his claims as being without merit despite the evidence he presented,' the complaint says. Three days later, SpaceX fired Altshuler for 'deficient performance,' according to the complaint. The multiple grievances Altshuler reported to SpaceX 'regarding discrimination, retaliation and safety issues, [his] request for reasonable accommodation, and [his] workers' compensation claim were motivating factors in the decision to terminate [his] employment,' the complaint states. It says the ordeal caused Altshuler mental anguish, humiliation, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Broadly speaking, Pontusson, Altshuler's attorney, told The Independent, 'The company's actions are egregious and in clear violation of the law. Mr. Altshuler intends to seek all legal remedies that are available to him.' Altshuler is now seeking economic damages for back pay, front pay, lost benefits, and medical expenses in an amount to be determined by a jury, along with actual, compensatory, consequential, incidental and exemplary damages for disability discrimination, retaliation, failure to accommodate, wrongful termination and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
