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Four employees have action Rivian in freestanding lawsuits this year over allegations they were harassed , in some cases by top executive , and that the company ’s leading did short to direct their concerns , allot to a TechCrunch review of court records .
Rivian has also attain settlements in three other molestation and discrimination cases , TechCrunch has watch .
suit are n’t rare in the automotive industry , especially with large ship’s company that operate factories and multiple facilities . But the allegations take in these previously unreported causa against Rivian , and the ones that it has settled , hint the company is still sieve out its internal refinement — a culture that was thrust into the glare three years ago when it go public .
Two of the lawsuits , filed in California ’s Orange County Superior Court , center around Rivian tribal chief designer Jeff Hammoud , who has been with the company since 2017 .
One file by former color , fabric , and finish team director Elizabeth Curran in February 2024accusesHammoud of being “ prostrate to irrational tumultuous disturbance of anger , ” incidents she describes as being “ often directed at the cleaning lady in leadership . ”
The other , file by sculptor Nathan Facciolla in October 2024,allegesHammoud produce a uncongenial work environs and called Facciolla ’s wife “ a hooker ” because she worked a dark shift at a hospital .
Both employee claim they report Hammoud to HR and that he was not condition .
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A lawyer for Hammoud decline to gloss .
A third lawsuit , filed in federal court last month by line of work doer Jeremiah Powe , accusesrecently departed main operating officer Frank Klein of assault and battery after he allegedly pulled Powe to the ground for break the company ’s dress computer code . Powe told local jurisprudence enforcement that he believed Rivian did n’t in good order enquire the aver incident , according to a police written report obtained by TechCrunch .
Lawyers for Powe declined to gloss . Klein declined to gloss and directed TechCrunch ’s head to Rivian .
Rivianwas also litigate by a output actor at its Normal , Illinois mill in February 2024 . Nicole Hawkins file alawsuitin the Eleventh Judicial Court in McLean County , Illinois claim she was physically harassed and jeopardize by a coworker . When she report this to Rivian ’s human resource department , she claim “ [ n]othing was done . ” The case is potentially being patch up , as the docket now shows Hawkins ’ attorney is asking for a dismissal . Her attorney declined to comment .
Rivian refuse to remark on the claims made by each employee , reference the fact that the cause are ongoing .
“ Rivian is committed to provide an prominent work free of harassment , discrimination and revenge , ” Marina Hoffmann , Rivian ’s VP of spheric communications , allege in an emailed statement . “ As with any governing body with thou of employees , place do arise that prompt us to take action . When we become cognizant of behavior that may plunder our corporate policies or the law , we investigate soundly and take appropriate action mechanism . ”
These lawsuits fare just a few long time after Rivian ’s former fountainhead of sales and marketing Laura Schwab put the company ’s culture under scrutiny when she sued the society over her own allegation of sexual discrimination and wrongful termination .
Schwabclaimed in her 2021 lawsuitthat beginner and CEO RJ Scaringe had “ surrounded himself with a tight knit radical of men ” who created a “ toxic bro civilization ” that lead in “ blatant marginalization ” of women . She said she was burn two Day after she brought her experience to HR .
Schwab ’s lawsuit and herblog postabout the company ’s acculturation garnered a pile of attention forward of Rivian ’s blockbuster initial offering in 2021 . But she quietly settled with the company six month later and dismissed the causa , court records show . Her lawyer declined to notice on the settlement .
Oscar Ramirez , a lawyer represent both Curran and Facciolla , told TechCrunch in an consultation that these newfangled case suggest little has transfer following Schwab ’s case .
“ There seems to be a general radiation pattern of high up - range coach engaging in altogether insane behavior and targeting employees for any number of protected activities , or because of their feature , ” he said .
“A frothing rage”
Curran , who worked at the caller ’s Irvine , California headquarters , allege that Hammoud confronted her during a March 2023 coming together in “ a frothing rage , scarlet - faced with choler , veins on his head , and neck opening bulging as he berated her ” after she had trouble access a estimator intro . She claims the incident brought her to tears .
The next 24-hour interval , according to the complaint , Curran told a Rivian HR representative that she wanted to discuss the incident . But the 60 minutes rep allegedly never followed up with Curran and did n’t offer her the opportunity to lodge a formal complaint .
In September 2023 , Curran was called into a meeting with Hammoud and an HR repp and was force out for failing to make “ sufficient improvement during the ‘ reset plan ’ , ” harmonize to the charge .
This was not the first time Hammoud had been charge of harass employees .
Facciolla , who start work at Rivian in 2017 , claim in his lawsuit that Hammoud would regularly “ angrily humiliate ” employees . This created a toxic culture that led to employee overworking themselves out of fear of Hammoud ’s reprisals , accord to Facciolla ’s ill .
Just before Christmas in 2022 , according to Facciolla ’s causa , employees on his team were put to work 12 - to-14 hour twenty-four hours for three weeks straight . One twenty-four hours , Hammoud allegedly got angry that another employee left the government agency to take forethought of their sickish child . The primary couturier then allegedly started “ aggressively cut up up ” Facciolla ’s stiff simulation of one of Rivian ’s vehicles in reception , making “ major changes that are typically made in the early phases ” of the car development operation .
Later that eve , when Facciolla told Hammoud he need to go home because his married woman was working a night chemise at the hospital , Hammoud allegedly ask : “ Is she a hooker now ? ”
Facciolla report Hammoud to HR and , grant to the ill , the department “ seemed superficially appealing , but proved uninterested in correcting the situation . ” Facciolla claims HR spoke to Hammoud , but did not train him .
Facciolla begin seeing a therapist and eventually took “ several week off after Christmas to recuperate , ” but allegedly experienced more mistreatment from Hammoud when he returned . Facciolla vacate in June 2023 .
Hoffmann correct to comment on specifics of any of the allegations lay out in any of the case . In a espouse - up email , she shared a statement that Rivian has “ explicit insurance policy that call appropriate doings in the work and all employee , including executive , are required to follow these insurance policy . ”
Trouble in Illinois
Powe , meanwhile , claim that in November 2022 then - COO Klein “ rage into [ his ] work area , clapperclaw with cult ” and say Powe ’s necklace and Rivian - issue jacket violate the troupe ’s wearing apparel code .
Klein then allegedly grabbed Powe by the cap and “ forcefully pulled him toward the ground , ” before he “ proceeded to catch [ Powe ] by the crotch , and unzip his pants several times . ” Powe claims “ several ” other employees witnessed this .
Powe reported Klein to Rivian ’s 60 minutes team that day , concord to the lawsuit , and claim the company spent about a month investigating the incident . Meanwhile , Powe filed a police report with the Normal , Illinois police section in December 2022 because he believed “ Rivian security was not fail to investigate the incident , ” according to the responding ship’s officer ’s summary . The Normal Police Department told TechCrunch the causa was closed and no charges were filed .
In his suit , Powe take “ [ s]everal other employees ” at Rivian ’s manufacturing plant had made “ similar complaints against Klein to Rivian ’s HR Department ” prior to his alleged rape . Powe keep working at Rivian , but was struck by a fomite at study in September 2023 and injure . He then claims Rivian “ maliciously ” required him to time in on the second flooring of the manufactory , and say he was eventually fired in November 2023 , which he says was done “ without cause . ”
Klein left Rivian in September 2024 to become master operating policeman of space company Rocket Lab .
Multiple Rivian settlements
Schwab ’s compositor’s case is not the only harassment lawsuit Rivian has conciliate in late years , Margaret Court phonograph recording show . TechCrunch has discovered at least two others since 2022 .
bombardment squad member Angela BetancourtsuedRivian in federal court in September 2022 after allegedly being “ regularly subjected to unwanted sexual advances by several of her manful coworkers ” at the company ’s factory in Illinois . Betancourt report the harassment to “ several HR representatives , ” according to the complaint . But , her lawyer wrote , the fellowship “ die to cover such illegitimate molestation and the troupe culture that enables it . ”
In an amendedcomplaintfiled in August 2023 , which sought class action status , Betancourt ’s lawyers spell that it is “ common noesis that women are routinely sexually harassed at Defendant ’s deftness with the cognition of direction , but without direction pee-pee any real , essential effort to correct it . ”
After Rivian unsuccessfully tried to move the case to arbitrament , the company and Betancourt hit a settlement in August 2024 and the lawsuit was dismissed .
Natasha Hill , an operations and manufacturing companion at Rivian ’s manufactory , suedthe company in Union court of law in October 2023 after another employee allegedly share an “ explicit television ” of her with “ numerous coworkers . ” She claimed the employee continued to show the video to others even after she report the alleged incident to her supervisor .
Hill claimed in her suit that another employee threatened her with a small-arm . After reporting all of this to HR , Hill ’s cause states that she was end in July 2023 “ in connection ” with the “ investigation regarding the firearm incident . ”
Hill and Rivian reached a settlement and dismissed the lawsuit in April 2024 .
