CALIFORNIA – A state judge in California has given the green light for nearly 6,000 black factory workers to collectively sue Tesla for alleged racial discrimination and harassment at its Fremont plant.
The judge of the California Superior Court, Noel Wise, in Oakland, has issued a written order laying the groundwork for the class action lawsuit racial discrimination. This legal action is based on Tesla’s alleged failure to address discrimination and harassment at its Fremont plant.
The lead plaintiff, Marcus Vaughn, a former assembly line worker, filed the initial lawsuit in 2017.
He alleges that black workers at the factory were subjected to various forms of racist behavior, including insults, graffiti, and the placement of nooses at their workstations.
So far, Tesla has not issued any comments on this judicial decision.
This preliminary ruling poses a significant challenge for Tesla, as it could face a multimillion-dollar fine. The class includes all individuals identified as black who worked at the Fremont factory since November 2016.
Judge Wise is scheduled to hold a trial on this case starting in October, while also overseeing another trial related to similar claims against Tesla by a California state civil rights agency. Additionally, Tesla faces claims of racial bias in a federal court, filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
