Just as Rivian is delivering its first vehicles to customers and is days away from an initial public stock offering that could be worth upward of $50 billion, a high-ranking executive disclosed she was fired and is suing the company.
In a blog post headlined "Life Outside the Boys Club: Why I Spoke Up About Rivian’s Toxic Bro Culture (and Got Fired)," and posted on Medium.com Thursday, industry veteran Laura Schwab claims Rivian’s “toxic bro culture” made it impossible for her to do her job.
In a separate post on LinkedIn, Schwab said she has filed a lawsuit against the company “for gender discrimination and retaliation.” The 14-page suit was filed Thursday in California Superior Court in Orange County by San Francisco law firm Rudy, Exelrod, Zieff & Lowe.
Rivian late Thursday confirmed with Automotive News that Schwab is no longer with the company, but would not comment further. The company is in a “quiet period” as part of preparations for an initial public stock offering.