From Fortune:

SpaceX was accused of illegally firing 8 employees who criticized CEO Elon Musk’s behavior. The National Labor Relations Board found that SpaceX illegally interrogated, surveilled, and retaliated against workers, including restricting the distribution of a critical internal letter. The trial is set to begin on March 5th.

The fired workers had protested Musk’s behavior, including inappropriate comments on Twitter. The NLRB alleges that SpaceX management told workers they were terminated because of the open letter and threatened others from collective action.

SpaceX has not commented on the situation. A group of employees had previously circulated an open letter criticizing Musk, calling on SpaceX to denounce his public comments. Complaints filed by NLRB prosecutors are usually ruled on by agency judges and can be appealed in federal court.

Elon Musk’s companies have been repeatedly accused of trying to silence employees despite his declaration as a “free speech absolutist.” US government settlements last year saw workers reinstated and compensated for Musk’s alleged retaliation; litigation is ongoing with Tesla Inc.



Read more: SpaceX workers who criticized CEO Elon Musk for being a ‘distraction and embarrassment’ were illegally fired in retaliation, NLRB alleges