Discrimination

California's Racial Bias Trial Against Tesla Opens

Did Tesla run a racially segregated factory for years or are these unproven claims that keep shrinking under scrutiny?

3 hours ago·Updated 2 hours ago

California's Racial Bias Trial Against Tesla Opens

Story

Above: Tesla cars sit parked in a lot at the Tesla Fremont Factory in Fremont, California, on April 24, 2024. Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

Tesla ran a racially segregated factory where Black workers got hit with slurs, swastikas and graffiti while getting stuck in the lowest rungs of the workforce. Hundreds of worker complaints and a nearly three-year state investigation found discrimination in pay, promotions, discipline and job assignments. Turning a blind eye for years is a choice, and accountability is overdue.

California Civil Rights Department

Narrative B

These are unproven allegations from a 2022 filing that took years just to reach a courtroom, and nothing has been established as fact. Tesla does not tolerate discrimination and has fired workers caught committing misconduct. The same judge already refused to let more than 6,000 workers sue as a class, and a separate $137 million verdict was reduced — the claims keep shrinking under scrutiny.

Muskonomy on X