Ex-Tesla worker testified that he was subjected to race-based discrimination, making him feel

A Black former elevator operator at Tesla Inc’s flagship California assembly plant became emotionally overwhelmed while testifying at a trial Wednesday regarding the psychological impact of the barrage of racial slurs, threats and other workplace occurrences he experienced.
Owen Diaz had difficulty speaking at times while explaining how he had recorded Spanish-speaking colleagues and then discovered with the help of a translation website that they were calling him racial slurs.

Diaz noted that the racism at the Fremont, California, electric-vehicle facility strained his relationship with his son, who also worked there, and made it hard for him to trust people.

“It made me feel less than a man; it made me question my worth,” Diaz said. He added, “I was living from paycheck to paycheck and I needed the job.”
U.S. District Judge William Orrick called a 15-minute recess to allow Diaz to compose himself.

Alex Spiro, speaking on behalf of the company, questioned Diaz as to why there was no written evidence of him making complaints to supervisors, such as emails and text messages, about the racist conduct.

Diaz said he could not recall if he complained in writing or only verbally, and he accused Spiro of misrepresenting his responses to other queries.

The five-day trial on damages follows a jury in 2021 finding Tesla responsible for discrimination and ordering the company to pay Diaz $137 million. After the trial began on Monday, Judge Orrick agreed with the jury that the EV maker had established a hostile work environment but reduced the award to $15 million. Diaz turned down the lower payout and chose a new trial on damages in front of a different jury.

Bernard Alexander, a lawyer for Diaz, during opening statements Monday likened the Fremont plant to a “plantation” where Black workers were singled out for harassment and their complaints were disregarded by managers.

Tesla has always maintained that it does not accept workplace harassment and takes discrimination complaints seriously. Spiro informed the jurors on Monday that Diaz was exaggerating his claims of emotional distress and there was no proof supporting a multimillion-dollar award.

The jury has also heard testimony from five workers and supervisors at the Fremont plant, a Tesla human resources manager, and a lawyer who inspects workplace disputes and served as an expert witness for Diaz.

The lawyer testified that while Tesla had acceptable anti-bias policies, the firm failed to properly investigate and react to complaints from Diaz and other Black workers.

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