Aerial perspective of the Tesla Fremont Factory in Fremont, California, captured on February 10, 2022. (Image credit: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images)
May 22, 2024 Story by: Editor
A second judge has ruled that Black employees at Tesla’s Fremont factory endured years of systemic racial harassment, potentially paving the way for thousands of additional claims against the electric car manufacturer for mistreatment.
Judge Noël Wise of Alameda County Superior Court, in a recent decision on a lawsuit brought by former Black Tesla employees, referenced over 500 sworn statements from workers detailing instances of racial abuse.
Among the declarations, approximately two-thirds of the more than 200 Black workers stated they witnessed anti-Black graffiti, including symbols like nooses, racial epithets, and swastikas. Additionally, about three-quarters reported hearing derogatory references to the Fremont plant as “The Plantation” or the “Slave Ship,” with a quarter stating that they were directly subjected to racial slurs by superiors.
These accounts, according to Wise, indicate a pervasive pattern of racial harassment over an eight-year span at the Fremont factory.
Bryan Schwartz, an attorney representing current and former Black workers, emphasized the significance of the judge’s ruling, highlighting the unprecedented scale of the harassment allegations.
Tesla, which did not provide comment on the lawsuit, faced a similar ruling last year by a federal judge who described the racism at the facility as “awful” and “pervasive.” Source: The Mercury News
While Wise approved class-action status for the lawsuit, she ruled against Tesla paying damages to affected workers. Instead, the court will focus on determining three key questions regarding the treatment of Black workers and the existence of ongoing racial abuse at the facility.
Individual lawsuits seeking damages will need to be filed separately by the potentially hundreds or thousands of affected workers, with Wise aiming to establish common facts through the pending cases.
The lawsuit encompasses individuals who worked at the Fremont factory between November 2016 and the recent court order date.
Looking ahead, Schwartz anticipates filing these lawsuits later this year, potentially totaling up to 10,000 cases.
The case, initiated by former Tesla worker Marcus Vaughn, will center on whether Tesla was aware of the widespread racial abuse, if it failed to take appropriate action, and if so, whether it should be held accountable.
Despite Tesla’s anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies dating back to 2011, allegations persist that racial harassment remained unchecked at the Fremont facility.
In response to the claims, Tesla stated its opposition to discrimination and harassment, noting its history of disciplining and terminating employees engaged in misconduct.
