Former SpaceX employee with Crohn's disease sues Elon Musk for being fired over using bathroom frequently

A former employee of Elon Musk’s SpaceX is suing the company for allegedly firing him over frequent bathroom use caused by a chronic medical condition. According to The Independednt, Douglas Altshuler, 58, claims he was mistreated and ultimately terminated because of Crohn’s disease — a gastrointestinal illness that often requires urgent and repeated visits to the toilet.

Altshuler, who joined SpaceX in 2023, filed a federal lawsuit in California last week. In it, he says he needed to use the bathroom every 35 to 45 minutes during his eight-hour shifts, sometimes up to 14 times a day. According to the complaint, he provided medical documentation to explain his condition, but supervisors started tracking the duration of his toilet breaks and warned him not to exceed 10 minutes per visit.

He alleges he was threatened with termination if his bathroom use continued. When he asked management for official accommodations under disability rights, he claims the request was rejected as “unsubstantiated.” He was eventually dismissed on grounds of “deficient performance,” which he believes was retaliation for both his condition and for reporting unsafe workplace practices.

Altshuler’s lawsuit also accuses SpaceX of denying him meal breaks, underpaying him, and exposing employees to unsafe conditions. He described one incident where machine parts were dried in the same kitchen where staff cooked meals.

The Mayo Clinic defines Crohn’s disease as a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation and swelling in the tissues of the digestive tract.