A California judge denied the company’s motion for arbitration. The female worker who brought up the case signed an arbitration agreement at Tesla, ending her rights to sue. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Stephen Kaus still moved forward with the decision on Monday.

At least seven more female workers have come forward with sexual harassment complaints. Some claim Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s suggestive tweets made it worse.

President Joe Biden signed a bill in March that ends forced arbitration in sexual assault cases. Because this case began before the bill became law, it does n’t apply.

‘this is a victory for public accountability,’ says Barraza’s attorney. Instead, Tesla will be judged by a jury of Ms. Barraza’s peers in a public courtroom.

Spacex reportedly gave the attendant a $ 250,000 severance agreement after she brought the complaint to management. The ruling comes as Musk faces sexual misconduct allegations of his own.