He disclosed a disability and requested leave — then alleges he was shown the door
SpaceX allegedly fired a 12-year employee after he disclosed a back disability and requested workplace accommodations and medical leave.
Jon "Pat" Phelps, who worked as a launch pad technician at the company's Vandenberg site in Santa Barbara County, California, filed suit on April 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He is accusing Space Exploration Technologies Corp. of disability discrimination, failure to accommodate his condition, retaliation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and violation of the Family Medical Leave Act (Phelps v. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., No. 2:26-cv-03632).
According to the lawsuit, Phelps joined SpaceX around 2013 and spent roughly 12 years with the company. During that time, he developed a back condition that, the filing says, significantly limited his ability to carry out everyday activities.
Things began to unravel in the fall of 2024. Phelps told his employer about his condition and that he expected to need surgery the following spring. He asked for time off to see doctors and undergo evaluations ahead of the procedure, and requested a move to a less physically demanding position. That request, the suit says, was turned down.
Over the following months, Phelps submitted medical paperwork documenting his restrictions. By late January 2025, his physician had completed SpaceX's own accommodation request form,...
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