A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against Elon Musk’s social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, which alleged discrimination against employees with disabilities following the company’s ban on remote work. Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin stated that Dmitry Borodaenko, the former engineering manager bringing the suit, failed to demonstrate how the return-to-office mandate specifically affected disabled employees.

Borodaenko, a cancer survivor, claimed he was terminated shortly after Musk’s acquisition for not complying with the in-office requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic. He argued this violated federal law on disability accommodation. Musk had previously insisted employees work “long hours at high intensity” or leave, asserting working from home was “morally wrong.”

The judge clarified that the prohibition on remote work does not equate to disability discrimination, noting Borodaenko incorrectly assumed that all disabled employees needed to work remotely as a reasonable adjustment. Borodaenko has four weeks to submit a revised lawsuit that better outlines his claims.

This case is part of a larger wave of lawsuits from former employees regarding layoffs and other issues following Musk’s $44 billion takeover of X, which resulted in a workforce reduction of approximately 75%. Allegations in these lawsuits include failure to provide notice before layoffs, unpaid severance, and claims of discriminatory job cuts targeting women and older workers, all of which X denies.