U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ruled on Tuesday that the plaintiff, John Zeman, had presented sufficient evidence to support his claim that the layoffs had a more significant impact on older workers, allowing the proposed class action to move forward.
Zeman’s lawsuit contends that X laid off 60% of employees aged 50 or above, and almost three-quarters of those aged over 60, in contrast to 54% of workers under 50.
While the judge dismissed Zeman’s assertion that X intentionally targeted older employees for layoffs, she granted him one month to revise and elaborate on that particular claim in an amended lawsuit.
Shannon Liss-Riordan, the attorney representing Zeman, welcomed the decision as validation of their arguments, asserting that the discrimination claims are valid and should proceed.
This lawsuit is just one of numerous legal challenges faced by X following Elon Musk’s decision to lay off around half of Twitter’s workforce in November of the previous year.
The cases against X encompass a range of claims, including allegations that the company carried out layoffs without the legally required advance notice, and contentions that Musk’s approach discriminated against employees with disabilities by insisting on in-person work and demanding increased dedication.
Several lawsuits are seeking compensation from the company, with at least two asserting that X owes former employees a combined total of $500 million in severance pay. X has denied any wrongdoing in relation to these cases.
Shannon Liss-Riordan is also representing approximately 2,000 former Twitter employees who have initiated similar legal proceedings against the company through arbitration.
