San Francisco officials have launched an investigation into Twitter's headquarters following a lawsuit filed by six former senior employees. The lawsuit accuses Elon Musk's team members of knowingly violating local and federal laws. The former employees claim that Musk's team instructed staff to disable lights and install non-compliant locks in employee bedrooms, which violated building codes.
The lawsuit, filed in Delaware federal court, names Twitter's successor company X Corp. and Elon Musk as defendants. The city's Department of Building Inspection spokesperson, Patrick Hannan, confirmed that a new complaint will be opened, and an investigation will be conducted into the allegations made by the former employees.
One of the plaintiffs, Joseph Killian, who served as Twitter's lead global design and construction project manager, stated that Musk's team instructed him to violate building codes while creating rooms for employees to sleep in. Killian alleged that he was told to disconnect motion-sensitive lights and install space heaters, violating the building's lease and codes.
Additionally, he claimed that he was instructed to install door locks that would not automatically unlock during emergencies, potentially blocking first responders' access to the rooms. Killian quit his job on the same day, and the lawsuit alleges that someone else later installed non-compliant locks.
The lawsuit further alleges that when city inspectors visited the building, Killian was instructed to keep the planned changes private. According to the lawsuit, the inspectors expressed surprise and relief, assuming there were more significant alterations.
The plaintiffs are seeking severance pay, punitive damages for "flagrant bad faith," and compensation for alleged fraud and violations of laws. The investigation will shed more light on the claims made in the lawsuit and determine the appropriate course of action.
In response to a request for comment on the investigation, Twitter replied with a poop emoji. It is worth noting that Musk laid off the communications team.
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