As reported by AP, Twitter is facing an investigation in San Francisco after six former employees accused owner Elon Musk’s leadership team of breaking laws by transforming the company headquarters into a “Twitter Hotel”. The ex-employees have alleged that they were pushed to stay up late and work long hours to keep up with Musk’s expectations, while not being paid their promised severance. The Department of Building Inspection has opened a new complaint concerning its latest investigation into the case.
The lawsuit filed by the plaintiffs against Twitter in federal court in Delaware claims that Musk’s team ordered various changes to the 1930s Art Deco building in downtown San Francisco which serves as the company’s headquarters, including disabling lights and adding locks that wouldn’t open during emergencies, thereby violating building codes. Additionally, Tracy Hawkins (the former vice president of real estate and workplace for Twitter, who was responsible for managing the company’s physical offices and leases) was forced to resign when Musk and his transition team insisted she violated her professional ethics by causing Twitter to intentionally breach its leases and other contracts.
This isn’t the first time tensions between Musk and San Francisco officials arose. In October, Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion and converted part of the company’s headquarters into bedrooms, ultimately gutting much of the workforce. Earlier this year, the city launched an investigation into the beds discovered in two conference rooms following a Forbes report, giving Twitter’s construction contractor two weeks to submit a corrected building use permit if it wanted to continue using the space as bedrooms.
The situation surrounding Elon Musk’s donation to San Francisco schools is complex. The donation was made in 2018, and a subsequent investigation launched in response to reporting by Forbes found that it was unclear if the donation had been followed through on. However, it is important to note that Mayor London Breed was not involved in the investigation that prompted the Forbes report.
Musk’s comments on Mayor Breed’s social media posts, which were seen as aggressive and inappropriate by some observers, also led to criticism of his handling of the situation. Some felt that his behavior had been unprofessional, and that he could have handled the situation more diplomatically.
Despite the controversy surrounding the donation, it is clear that Musk has expressed a strong commitment to improving education in underserved communities. His philanthropic efforts in this area are commendable, and it is clear that he has a passion for supporting education initiatives.
Moving forward, it will be important for all parties involved to work collaboratively and transparently to ensure that donations are put to good use and that students receive the resources and support they need to succeed. With continued commitment and collaboration, it is possible to improve educational outcomes for all students and create a brighter future for our communities.