Rocket maker SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk were sued Wednesday by eight engineers who say they were illegally fired for raising concerns about alleged sexual harassment and discrimination against women.

The engineers – four women and four men – claim Musk ordered them fired in 2022 after they circulated a letter calling the billionaire a “distraction and an embarrassment” and urging executives to disapprove of sexually suggestive comments he made on social media. The suit was filed in state court in Los Angeles.

The lawsuit says Musk’s conduct fostered a “pervasively sexist culture” at SpaceX, where female engineers routinely faced harassment and sexist comments and had their concerns about workplace culture ignored.

“The foreseeable and actual result of these actions was that they humiliated, caused distress, and interfered with the well-being of Plaintiffs by disrupting their emotional peace at work,” the plaintiffs said in the lawsuit.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

SpaceX has denied any wrongdoing, saying the 2022 letter was disruptive and that the employees were properly fired for violating company policies.

Peggy Holland-Thielen, one of the plaintiffs, said in a statement provided by her lawyers that Wednesday’s lawsuit is an effort to hold SpaceX leadership accountable and encourage changes to workplace policies.

“We hope this lawsuit encourages our colleagues to stay strong and continue fighting for a better workplace,” he said.

Eight engineers are already the focus of a US National Labor Relations Board case claiming their dismissal violated their rights to advocate for better working conditions under US labor law.

SpaceX filed a lawsuit claiming the labor board’s internal enforcement action violates the U.S. Constitution. A U.S. appeals court last month put the NLRB case on hold while it considers SpaceX’s bid to block it from proceeding pending the outcome of the company’s lawsuit.

Wednesday’s lawsuit accuses SpaceX and Musk of retaliation and wrongful termination in violation of California law, and also accuses the company of sexual harassment and gender discrimination.

The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and an injunction restraining SpaceX from continuing to engage in its allegedly unlawful conduct.