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Former Tesla employees have told a California court that Black workers faced racial harassment at the company’s Fremont factory and that complaints to management went unresolved.
The testimony forms part of a lawsuit brought by the California Civil Rights Department in 2022. The state alleges that Tesla allowed harassment to persist and discriminated against Black workers in pay, job assignments, promotions and discipline. Tesla denies wrongdoing.
At opening statements, state lawyer Brett Watson showed the court photographs of racist slurs and symbols found around the factory, according to The Guardian.
He said workers’ accounts and complaints would show the conduct was widespread. “These experiences cannot be dismissed as a few bad apples,” Watson told the court.
Former workers describe treatment at Fremont
Nadia Clark, who worked as a security manager at the plant from 2020 to 2022, alleged that a white employee repeatedly called her a racial slur in front of colleagues. She said she reported the incident to HR but received no response and left Tesla that day.
“The work environment was unsafe, hostile, and I never returned,” Clark told the court.
Another former worker testified that he was written up after reporting that a colleague had called him a racial slur. A former senior security manager said he had worked with HR on discrimination complaints and had seen Black employees treated differently from workers of other races. Both accounts are allegations being considered at trial.
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The state’s concerns extend beyond the incidents described in court. In May, Civil Rights Department director Kevin Kish said: “Tesla claims to be built on the promise of creating a more sustainable future… But its employment practices remain rooted in some of the ugliest relics of the past. Black workers are paid less for their work. They are subjected to racist slurs. They face threats of being fired for speaking out. In California, we will not and cannot allow these alleged practices to continue.”
Kish added: “We look forward to having our day in court to hold Tesla accountable and to protect the rights of workers in our state.”
Further claims in the court order state: "The use of the n-word was allegedly especially pervasive at the Fremont factory, which Tesla workers, supervisors, and management alike referred to as the 'plantation,' with Black workers as 'slaves'.”
It additionally alleges: "In addition to the rampant harassment, Black workers were relegated to labor-intensive jobs, segregated, and paid less than non-Black workers. For example, one analysis of worker pay data from June 2018 through June 2024 showed that Black workers’ monthly compensation was $1,533 lower than that for white workers. When Black workers complain about these conditions, they have faced retaliation in the form of overly harsh performance reviews, reprimands, and termination."
Tesla rejects the claims
Tesla has said it investigates complaints and takes action against misconduct. In a statement issued when the lawsuit was filed, the company said: “Tesla strongly opposes all forms of discrimination and harassment.” It added that it had disciplined and fired employees who used racial slurs or harassed others.
During opening statements, Tesla lawyer Tyree Jones disputed the state’s interpretation of some uses of the racial slur and argued that the company had itself been harmed by racist graffiti at Fremont.
The state is seeking damages and a court order that could require Tesla to change its employment practices. Judge Peter Borkon will decide the case without a jury. The trial is scheduled to continue through October.
