The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a federal lawsuit against Tesla, alleging racial harassment and discrimination against Black employees. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, follows an EEOC investigation into Tesla's treatment of its Black workforce.
The lawsuit, obtained by ABC News, asserts that since at least May 29, 2015, Tesla has violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by subjecting Black employees at its Fremont, California, manufacturing facilities to racial abuse, stereotyping, and hostility, including racial slurs.
According to the EEOC statement released on Thursday, the lawsuit claims that Tesla violated federal law by
"tolerating widespread and ongoing racial harassment of its Black employees and by subjecting some of these workers to retaliation for opposing the harassment."
It also alleges that Tesla unlawfully retaliated against Black employees who spoke out against actions they perceived as unlawful employment discrimination.
The EEOC, established through the Civil Rights Act of 1964, is a federal agency responsible for protecting civil rights in the workplace.
Tesla has not yet responded to ABC News' request for comment. In response to a separate discrimination lawsuit filed in 2022 by California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing, Tesla stated that it "strongly opposes" all forms of discrimination, as reported by The New York Times.
The lawsuit against Tesla further alleges that racial slurs were routinely and casually used against Black employees, often in high-traffic areas. Employees who reported this alleged harassment were purportedly retaliated against by Tesla, facing changes in job duties and schedules, unjustified write-ups, terminations, transfers, and other actions.
The EEOC is seeking, among other remedies, a court order requiring Tesla to provide victims with back pay and an injunction to stop the company from its alleged discriminatory practices.
EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows emphasized that "no company is above the law," and the EEOC will vigorously enforce federal civil rights protections to ensure American workplaces are free from unlawful harassment and retaliation.
The EEOC launched the investigation into Tesla following a commissioner's charge submitted by Burrow, alleging that Tesla violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 regarding the treatment of Black employees. The EEOC attempted to reach a pre-litigation settlement through conciliation before filing the lawsuit.
EEOC San Francisco District Office Regional Attorney Roberta L. Steele expressed concern over the allegations, stating,
"No worker should have to endure racial harassment and retaliation to earn a living six decades after the enactment of Title VII."
Tesla's response to the lawsuit and the legal proceedings that follow will be closely watched in the context of ongoing discussions about workplace discrimination and harassment.
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