SpaceX has been accused of unlawfully firing employees who criticised Elon Musk.
The spacecraft manufacturer is the subject of a complaint by the National Labor Relations Board, in which workers allege that the tech billionaire is a "distraction and embarrassment" whilst lawyers for former employee Deborah Lawrence have reportedly called the workplace a "toxic culture".
In a statement, seen by Reuters, Ms Lawrence said: "We wrote the open letter to leadership not out of malice, but because we cared about the mission and the people around us".
The NLRB's general counsel acts as a prosecutor and brings cases to the five-member board which is appointed by the organisation's president.
If SpaceX does not settle, the case will go before an administrative judge and a hearing has been scheduled for 5 March.
If it is found that the corporation did indeed act unlawfully, it can order that those employees who lost their jobs be reinstated and receive compensation over the alleged firings.
