The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has now filed a lawsuit alleging that Tesla discriminates against black employees at their Fremont, California factory.
The suit alleges that black employees have been likened to monkeys and slaves on the plant floor.
The 39-page lawsuit further frames Tesla’s move to Texas as an attempt to evade accountability for turning a blind eye to racism allegations.
It also notes that Musk has informed workers to be ‘thick-skinned’ about racial harassment, including verbal abuse and segregation within the factory.
The lawsuit seeks:
- Backpay for black employees who were unfairly bypassed for promotions and raises
- Reinstatements of workers who lost their jobs for discriminatory reasons; and
- Punitive damages.
However, as we reported earlier this week, Tesla posted a statement on their website before the lawsuit was filed.
Tesla notes that this is an unfair and counterproductive lawsuit. The company said that the agency had been asked on nearly 50 occasions to investigate allegations of discrimination and harassment over the last five years.
However, as per Tesla, the agency closed each investigation without finding evidence of any misconduct.
This is not the first time that Tesla faced lawsuits from workers at their Fremont facility. However, this is the first time a state entity took the automaker to court over such allegations.
You can read the full lawsuit below.
DFEH-vs-Tesla
