A female engineer has been fired by a famous electric car manufacturer, after she accused the company of “pervasive” sexual harassment and paying her less than her male colleagues.

AJ Vandermeyden was formerly an employee at Tesla, the California-based clean car and sustainable energy company run by Elon Musk. She announced that she had filed a discrimination lawsuit against the corporation in February, saying that she had been taunted and catcalled by her male co-workers, and citing concerns about unequal pay. She also claimed that senior figures at Tesla had not attempted to address her complaints when they were raised internally.

At the time, Vandermeyden told The Guardian: “It’s shocking in this day and age that this is still a fight we have to have.” Now, she has been sacked – in what her lawyer has said was an act of “clear retaliation”.

Tesla confirmed it had dismissed Vandermeyden in a statement to The Guardian on Thursday (1 June), saying that the company had concluded that her complaints were unfounded after investigating her allegations with “a neutral, third-party expert” and giving her what it termed “special treatment”.

Female engineer fired by car firm Tesla after suing for sexual harassment