The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit against Tesla, accusing the automaker of fostering a hostile work environment for Black employees at its factory in Fremont, California. The lawsuit alleges severe and pervasive racial harassment and unfair retaliation against workers who voiced complaints.
The EEOC, responsible for enforcing civil rights laws in workplaces, claims that Tesla allowed non-Black employees to openly use racial slurs and epithets in high-traffic areas and around production lines. The suit also alleges supervisors and managers witnessed this offensive conduct but failed to intervene.
When Black workers reported incidents of racial slurs, insults, graffiti, and other misconduct to Tesla’s human resources department and managerial personnel, the company allegedly neglected to take appropriate action to address these issues.
The EEOC’s lawsuit asserts that the mistreatment of Black workers at Tesla’s Fremont facility dates back to at least 2015. Employees were subjected to racial slurs, monkey noises, and derogatory language, while managers occasionally addressed Black employees using racial slurs. Disturbingly, racist graffiti, including nooses and swastikas, was found on desks, elevators, and vehicles.
Tesla and the EEOC engaged in mandatory mediation in June 2023, but the issues remained unresolved, prompting the lawsuit. The EEOC is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, back pay for affected workers, and injunctive relief to reform Tesla’s employment practices and prevent future discrimination.
This lawsuit follows a previous case where Tesla was sued by a state civil rights agency in California, resulting in a $3.2 million judgment in favor of a Black former employee who endured racist discrimination while working there in 2015. The original judgement in that case was $137 million, but was later reduced, resulting in the plaintiff requesting a new trial.
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has also filed a lawsuit alleging that Tesla discriminates against black employees at their Fremont factory.
You can read the full lawsuit below. (via The Verge)
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