Tesla Faces Lawsuit For Racial Harassment In Its Factories (mercurynews.com)

Three former Tesla factory workers have filed a lawsuit against the company, claiming they were subject to constant racial discrimination and harassment in the electric car company's factories. "The men, who are African-American, claim in a new complaint filed Monday in state court that Tesla supervisors and workers used racial epithets and drew racist graffiti on cardboard boxes," reports The Mercury News. From the report: The new suit is the second by black employees charging Tesla failed to address racial antagonism at its factory. The electric vehicle maker also has a hearing before the National Labor Relations Board over claims it illegally tried to silence workers promoting a union. The complaints come as the Tesla heads into a crucial ramp-up of Model 3 production, its lower-cost electric vehicle. A Tesla spokesman denied the suit's allegations and said the men never raised the complaints to the company during their brief time at the plant. "Given our size, we recognize that unfortunately at times there will be cases of harassment or discrimination in corners of the company," the spokesman said. "From what we know so far, this does not seem to be such a case." The suit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, claims Owen Diaz and his son, Demetric, were called the N-word while they worked at the Fremont factory, and supervisors did little to stop it. A third man, Lamar Patterson, also claims he was subjected to insensitive racist remarks.

Comments

Unacceptable

[DaMattster]

In present times, being subjected to racial epithets is totally unacceptable. The fact that Tesla did little or nothing to address or curb this behavior is astounding so they will have to pay the piper for what they failed to do. Tesla assumes the ultimate responsibility for making its employees conform with a code of conduct that prevents discrimination in the workplace and did not do so. It is a shame that we live in times where people on the far right and hate groups are becoming emboldened because of the poor example our country's leadership is setting. I hate bringing politics into this, but leadership that encourages hatred emboldens subordinate people who might already feel they have an axe to grind against minorities.

Re:Unacceptable

[JaredOfEuropa]

being subjected to racial epithets / The fact that Tesla did little or nothing to address or curb this behavior

Are these facts, or is someone looking for a payday? If there has been a formal complaint that got ignored, there'd be a pretty clear case. If the harassment actually happened but no formal complaint was made for whatever reason, then it comes down (or should come down) to what the law says about what exactly Tesla's obligations are in having an appropriate code of conduct and making sure it is being followed. No idea what US law has to say about that to be honest... But the point is that Tesla ought to be judged on facts, not claims or hearsay.

Re:Unacceptable

[Anonymous Coward]

We'll see. They may lose in court and I hope so if this happened. But, I'd be stunned if the public doesn't choose to just overlook this because so many idolize Musk. I'd be surprised if there is even one person who was going to buy a Tesla, but won't now because of this. Our values tend to go right out the door, or more accurately , exposed for what they really are, when we have to make a choice.

Re:Unacceptable

[Anonymous Coward]

Someone else might bite, but I don't need to engage your bullet points since the problem's further upstream: Those are generalizations.

A lawsuit is a specific claim regarding specific events. The verdict isn't affected by "it's actually happening out there tho".

Why is political drama on slashdot?

[bongey]

And when are the political narratives constantly being pushed now on this site going to end? I thought this was a tech site.

Re: Why is political drama on slashdot?

[Anonymous Coward]

This site hasnâ(TM)t been about technology for years. Itâ(TM)s now an angry far left insane asylum. Anyway it should be clear this lawsuit isnâ(TM)t about racial harassment itâ(TM)s the unions punching back. They do this kind of shit when they donâ(TM)t get their way.

Re: Why is political drama on slashdot?

[Anonymous Coward]

There are two possible outcomes: a.) your alternative site does not attract the people you wish and eventually dies and b.) your site does attract the audience and contributors you desire, and then the SJWs that plague slashdot will show up and ruin it.

You have to be willing to dissuade the SJWs; mod them down, ban them, etc. They won't like it and they'll yell at you until you give in, so you have to be prepared to deal with that.

Re:Elon Musk is a hypocrite

[phayes]

Claims != proven facts and a simple google search on "uaw fraud unionizing" will show that UAW has been proven to have stooped to lies and out and out fraud in pursuit of forcing unionization.

Lets save the outrage until fault has been proven and avoid becoming the modern equivalent of whites in the south lynching a black man on trumped up claims, shall we?