Fifteen black former or current Tesla employees are suing the company, alleging that the Fremont, Calif., factory failed to prevent racial discrimination. The lawsuit, filed in a California court last week, details that workers say they are subjected to racial slurs, demeaning comments and racially motivated harassment in the workplace.
As stated in the document, workers said their colleagues frequently used the N-word and other racist or discriminatory terms such as “slavery” or “plantation” to describe the factory’s work culture. In addition, Tesla allegedly left racist graffiti on bathroom walls, benches, lockers and workstations, including “KKK,” the N prefix, and drawings of the Nazi Party.
Management also engaged in harassment, ignored repeated complaints and reports about the issue and retaliated against workers who reported and complained of discriminatory behavior, the lawsuit alleges. A former worker, Jasmin Wilson, said colleagues and managers had sexually and racially harassed her. Instead of doing anything to report the discrimination, her managers allegedly instituted a policy against Wilson in retaliation for her complaint.
Another worker, Nathaniel Aziel Gonsalves, said he was abruptly fired after nine years at Tesla in retaliation for his constant reporting of racism at the company. Several other workers allege they were denied promotion on the basis of their race and were placed in Tesla’s most physically demanding jobs.
This latest lawsuit is just one of many filed against Tesla for alleged racial discrimination and other forms of workplace harassment. Last year, a black ex-elevator operator won $15 million in reduced damages in a case alleging Tesla didn’t do enough to prevent racial discrimination. The company also reportedly paid $1 million to an employee who claimed it did nothing after his boss scolded him for a racial slur.
In February, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) filed a lawsuit against Tesla, saying the company’s Fremont factory was a “racially segregated environment where black workers were racially stigmatized and discriminated against.” The automaker is also Under investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Tesla denied the claims of discrimination in a post on its blog, saying the company strongly opposes all forms of discrimination and harassment.
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