Tesla has been granted its request and must be provided with more details on the California Civil Rights Department’s investigation into allegations of racial bias at its flagship assembly plant in Fremont, California.
The court has ruled that the department must provide details of the investigation it conducted before filing the lawsuit against the company. This could allow Tesla to narrow the lawsuit and seek to have certain claims removed from the case, if they were not properly investigated prior to the lawsuit, Reuters reports. California law mandates that the department must investigate discrimination complaints by workers before suing employers.
Tesla has denied the allegations and claimed that the lawsuit was politically motivated. The department can contest the court’s decision, but judges rarely make significant changes to tentative rulings. Tesla had previously filed a counter-suit that the agency did not notify them of the allegations or provide a chance to settle before suing in February 2022.
However, in January, the court dismissed this suit and allowed Tesla to raise these arguments in its defense. Several other lawsuits alleging discrimination and sexual harassment against Tesla are pending in California courts, and the company has denied any wrongdoing.
Tesla racial discrimination lawsuit award reduced from $137 million to $15 million
