
Tesla is being sued by 15 Black former or present employees for allegedly failing to stop racial discrimination at its Fremont, California manufacturing (via Bloomberg). The case, which was submitted to a court in California last week, recounts the workers’ allegations that they experienced racist epithets, disparaging remarks, and racially motivated harassment at work.
Workers claim that their coworkers routinely referred to the factory’s workplace as “slavery” or a “plantation,” among other racial or discriminatory phrases, according to the complaint. Additionally, it is said that Tesla placed racist graffiti, including the “KKK,” the N-word, and sketches of swastikas, on the seats, lockers, and workstations in the restrooms.
According to the lawsuit, management not only participated in the harassment but also “ignored numerous complaints and reports” regarding it and retaliated against staff “for reporting and complaining about the discrimination.” Jasmin Wilson, a former employee, alleges that her superiors and coworkers harassed her on the basis of race and sexual orientation. Her bosses are accused of failing to disclose the prejudice and, as revenge for her complaints, creating procedures that specifically target Wilson.
Another employee, Nathaniel Aziel Gonsalves, alleges he was abruptly removed from Tesla after nine years as reprisal for persistently bringing up instances of racial discrimination at the business. Other employees assert that they were given the “most physically demanding” duties at Tesla and refused advancements on the grounds of race.
The numerous lawsuits filed against Tesla for alleged racial discrimination and other types of workplace harassment are not the only ones. A Black former elevator operator successfully sued Tesla last year, accusing the company of not doing enough to combat racial discrimination. He was given a reduced settlement of $15 million. The business reportedly also compensated an employee $1 million after he claimed the business did nothing when his supervisor called him a racial slur.
In a complaint filed in February against Tesla, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) asserts that the company’s Fremont facility is a “racially segregated environment where Black workers are exposed to racial insults and discrimination.” Additionally, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is looking into the company (EEOC).
In a blog post, Tesla refuted allegations of discrimination, saying the business “strongly condemns all types of discrimination and harassment.”