California to unfairly sue Tesla over alleged discrimination and harassment
On Wednesday, Tesla announced that the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) plans to sue Tesla over systematic racial discrimination and abuse.
The ‘DFEH’s Misguided Lawsuit‘ appears to be focused on Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California, between 2015 and 2019.
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) intends to file a lawsuit against Tesla alleging systematic racial discrimination and harassment. This follows a three-year investigation during which the DFEH—whose mission is supposedly to protect workers—has never once raised any concern about current workplace practices at Tesla.
Tesla, according to the complaint, received numerous requests for information but was denied access to the specific allegations or the facts supporting its lawsuit, reports Reuters.
Tesla said that the Department of Transportation has previously investigated claims by staff who believe they were subjected to discrimination or harassment, but no misconduct was discovered.
Over the past five years, the DFEH has been asked on almost 50 occasions by individuals who believe they were discriminated against or harassed to investigate Tesla. On every single occasion, once concluded the DFEH has closed its investigation without a finding of misconduct against Tesla. It therefore strains credibility for the agency to now allege, after a three-year investigation, that systematic racial discrimination and harassment somehow existed at Tesla.
The carmaker has a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team whose work is shown in this public report.
Past efforts to sue Tesla
Tesla has been the target of a number of lawsuits over allegations of racial prejudice and sexual misconduct.
Two female workers filed claims in court last year, with both claiming a “hostile work environment” for women at Tesla’s factory in Fremont.
In October, a Black contract worker was awarded $137 million by a jury verdict against Tesla after proving workplace racism.
Tesla’s shareholders subsequently voted in favor of a motion that required the firm to submit an overview of its diversity and inclusion program.
Let us know what you think about what the carmaker calls a ‘misguided lawsuit’ and the efforts of DFEH to sue Tesla in the comments below. We are curious to hear your thoughts on this matter.
Photo courtesy of Tesla Inc. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Impact Report 2020 (U.S.)
