About 6,000 Black factory workers in California may file a collective lawsuit against Tesla for allegedly failing to stop widespread racial discrimination and harassment at its Fremont facility, according to a tentative ruling by a state judge.
In a written judgement on Wednesday, California Superior Court Judge Noel Wise in Oakland stated that the lawsuit raises issues that are relevant to all Black employees at the facility, specifically whether Tesla knew about the alleged misconduct and chose not to take action to stop it.
Requests for comment on Thursday were not immediately answered by Tesla or the plaintiffs' attorneys.
Marcus Vaughn, a former assembly line worker who is the named plaintiff in the case, filed the initial lawsuit in 2017. He claimed that Black manufacturing workers saw a variety of racist acts, such as slurs, graffiti, and nooses hanging at their workstations.
Tesla has insisted that it does not accept harassment at work and that it has fired workers who were discovered to have harassed others based on their race.
Although judges are often not inclined to reverse their decisions, Tesla can challenge Wise's judgement in a hearing on Friday, which is when the tentative verdict is expected to occur.
Tesla is facing a serious setback as a result of this decision, which might result in a multimillion dollar judgement against the business. Those who self-identified as Black and were employed at the Fremont factory as early as November 2016 are included in the class.
In addition to presiding over a trial in a case involving comparable allegations made against Tesla by a California state civil rights commission, Wise stated she intended to hold a trial in the matter starting in October.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which upholds federal anti-discrimination rules, has accused Tesla of racial bias in federal court in California. Tesla has filed a motion to halt or dismiss that litigation, arguing that the other lawsuits have to be handled first.
In a related racial harassment action, the business is appealing a $3.2 million jury verdict given to a Black former lift operator at the Fremont factory.
After the worker, Owen Diaz, won a $137 million jury decision in the first trial in 2021, a judge ruled that the award was excessive and ordered a retrial.
(Source:www.theprint.in)
In a written judgement on Wednesday, California Superior Court Judge Noel Wise in Oakland stated that the lawsuit raises issues that are relevant to all Black employees at the facility, specifically whether Tesla knew about the alleged misconduct and chose not to take action to stop it.
Requests for comment on Thursday were not immediately answered by Tesla or the plaintiffs' attorneys.
Marcus Vaughn, a former assembly line worker who is the named plaintiff in the case, filed the initial lawsuit in 2017. He claimed that Black manufacturing workers saw a variety of racist acts, such as slurs, graffiti, and nooses hanging at their workstations.
Tesla has insisted that it does not accept harassment at work and that it has fired workers who were discovered to have harassed others based on their race.
Although judges are often not inclined to reverse their decisions, Tesla can challenge Wise's judgement in a hearing on Friday, which is when the tentative verdict is expected to occur.
Tesla is facing a serious setback as a result of this decision, which might result in a multimillion dollar judgement against the business. Those who self-identified as Black and were employed at the Fremont factory as early as November 2016 are included in the class.
In addition to presiding over a trial in a case involving comparable allegations made against Tesla by a California state civil rights commission, Wise stated she intended to hold a trial in the matter starting in October.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which upholds federal anti-discrimination rules, has accused Tesla of racial bias in federal court in California. Tesla has filed a motion to halt or dismiss that litigation, arguing that the other lawsuits have to be handled first.
In a related racial harassment action, the business is appealing a $3.2 million jury verdict given to a Black former lift operator at the Fremont factory.
After the worker, Owen Diaz, won a $137 million jury decision in the first trial in 2021, a judge ruled that the award was excessive and ordered a retrial.
(Source:www.theprint.in)
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