September 29th 2023.
Tesla has been hit with a lawsuit by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for violating federal law by tolerating the racial harassment of its Black employees and subjecting some of these workers to retaliation when they tried to oppose the abuse.
The EEOC's suit claims that since at least 2015, Black employees at Tesla's Fremont, California manufacturing facilities have been regularly subjected to racial abuse, stereotypes, and hostility, including racial slurs such as variations of the N-word, "monkey", "boy", and "black b**h". In addition, the EEOC stated that graffiti using such slurs, swastikas, threats, and nooses were found in high-traffic areas, worker hubs, desks, bathroom stalls, elevators, and even on cars rolling off the production line.
Furthermore, those who spoke out against this racial hostility had their jobs changed, were transferred, or terminated. EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows said that "every employee deserves to have their civil rights respected, and no worker should endure the kind of shameful racial bigotry our investigation revealed". Nancy Sienko, the EEOC San Francisco District Office Director, went on to say that when employers don't take serious disciplinary action against such slurs, they are sending a clear message to their employees that such behavior is acceptable - which is a complete violation of the law.
In April 2022, Tesla revealed in a financial filing that the EEOC had an "open investigation" into the company, and that Tesla had engaged in a mandatory conciliation process with the agency but was not successful. Burrows made it clear that no company can escape the law, and the EEOC will take a stand to ensure American workplaces are free from harassment and retaliation.
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