-Avier Wanjou-Brass-

Cousins!

Tesla is in hot water following claims of discrimination against Black people!

California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing is currently suing Tesla following allegations of harassment and racism towards their Black employees at the Tesla plant in Fremont, Ca. Tesla, .

The company’s owner Elon Musk, has responded to the lawsuit  as being “unfair,” reports NPR. 

Following three years of investigation, it alleges that Black and Brown employees at the Fremont plant are “segregated to the lowest levels.” Also, it cites the discovery of multiple instances of racist language used against Black employees, that they’ve been penalized more harshly than White employees and denied career advancement opportunities. 

“These numerous complaints by Black and/or African American workers about racial harassment, racial discrimination, and retaliation lodged over a span of almost a decade have been futile,” the lawsuit says. “Tesla has continued to deflect and evade responsibility. While it claims to not tolerate racial harassment or discrimination at its factories, Tesla’s investigations of complaints are not compliant with law.” 

The discrimination at the Fremont facility goes back to early 2012, the year after Tesla started production there. Within the lawsuit, it says Tesla “turned, and continue to turn, a blind eye” to the years of complaints from their Black employees. 

For example, Tesla is slow to clean up racist graffiti, including “hang N[ ]” written next to an image of a noose in the bathroom of the break room. Also, Black employees complained that supervisors would “constantly” use the N-word and other racial slurs towards Black workers. Including some workers with confederate flag tattoos would make their tattoos visible to intimidate Black employees. 

The day the lawsuit was filed, Tesla issued a public blog post titled “The DFEH’s Misguided Lawsuit.” The blog called the lawsuit “unfair and counterproductive.”

“Tesla strongly opposes all forms of discrimination and harassment and has a dedicated Employee Relations team that responds to and investigates all complaints,” Tesla writes. “Tesla has always disciplined and terminated employees who engage in misconduct, including those who use racial slurs or harass others in different ways.”

It is not looking pretty good at all. Cousins, what are your thoughts on the matter?

(📸: Ben Margot/AP)