CALIFORNIA, US — California has opened its case against Tesla over allegations that Black employees at the electric vehicle maker’s Fremont factory were subjected to racial abuse, unequal treatment and workplace discrimination.
The lawsuit, brought by California’s Civil Rights Department, went to trial Monday before Judge Peter Borkon.
The state alleges that Black workers at Tesla’s flagship California plant were exposed to racial slurs, offensive graffiti, bullying and unequal opportunities for pay and promotion over several years.
Tesla has denied wrongdoing and described the lawsuit as “misguided”.
State Presents Allegations of Racist Graffiti
In opening arguments, attorney Brett Watson, representing California, presented photographs that he said showed racist graffiti at Tesla’s Fremont factory.
The images allegedly included racial slurs, references to the Ku Klux Klan, swastikas, Confederate imagery, a white supremacist symbol and messages telling Black workers to “go back to Africa”.
The markings were allegedly found in areas including bathrooms, lockers, workplace benches and lunch areas.
Watson told the court that the alleged incidents were not isolated cases.
“These experiences cannot be dismissed as a few bad apples,” he said.
The state said hundreds of complaints made to Tesla and government authorities would demonstrate the scale of the alleged problem.
Workers Allege Repeated Racial Abuse
California’s case includes accounts from former and current workers who say they experienced racial harassment at the factory.
One Black employee allegedly told investigators that he was asked whether he wanted to “hang from a tree”.
Another worker reportedly said he heard racial slurs dozens of times a day.
Watson said some employees referred to the Fremont facility as “the plantation” because of their experiences there.
The state alleges that Tesla failed to adequately respond to complaints and allowed discriminatory conduct to continue.
State Alleges Unequal Pay and Promotions
The lawsuit, filed in February 2022, alleges that Tesla violated California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act.
According to the state, Black employees at the Fremont factory were paid less, promoted less frequently and terminated more often than white employees.
California also alleges that the workplace became effectively segregated along racial lines.
The state is seeking financial damages as well as court orders requiring Tesla to change its employment practices and internal policies.
Tesla Rejects State’s Case
Tesla has denied the allegations and argued that the state is unfairly holding the company responsible for misconduct by individual employees.
Tesla’s lead lawyer, Tyree Jones, told the court that the company had disciplined or dismissed employees accused of misconduct, including racial harassment.
He also challenged the state’s interpretation of some of the language cited in the case, arguing that certain expressions containing racial slurs can be used among Black people in non-abusive contexts.
“The state is blaming the employer, when it’s the victim,” Jones said, referring to racist graffiti found at the factory.
Tesla also defended its workforce, saying the Fremont plant has a majority-minority workforce and provides highly paid automotive jobs to tens of thousands of Californians.
Former Employees Testify
The state called three former Black Tesla employees as its first witnesses.
One former employee, who worked for Tesla from 2021 to 2024, testified that he was repeatedly bullied because he was Black.
He alleged that another employee directed a racial slur at him and that Tesla subsequently disciplined him rather than the employee accused of using the slur.
A former senior security manager who worked at Tesla for six years also testified.
He said he regularly worked with Tesla’s human resources department on discrimination complaints and personally witnessed what he described as different treatment of Black employees compared with workers of other races.
Witness Raises Claim Involving Elon Musk
The former security manager also alleged that Tesla CEO Elon Musk became involved in a workplace disciplinary matter involving white employees who had been caught drinking alcohol at the factory.
According to the witness, Musk directed management to override company policy and allow the employees to keep their jobs.
Trial Could Run Until October
The case is being heard without a jury, meaning Judge Borkon will determine the outcome.
The trial is expected to continue until the end of October.
