Tesla Settles Discrimination Suit Alleging 'Slave House' Remarks
Tesla has settled a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by Raina Pierce, a Black female employee at its Fremont, California, factory, according to reports. Pierce alleged that a manager greeted workers with racially offensive remarks such as "welcome to the plantation" or "welcome to the slave house." She also reported pervasive harassment, including racial slurs scrawled throughout the plan, and being disciplined for actions that were overlooked when committed by non-Black colleagues.
Pierce’s complaint quotes a Tesla employee who temporarily joined her production line and said, “Ma’am, you need to go to HR because these leads are saying things about you that are not right.”
The settlement, proposed by a mediator, has been agreed upon by both Pierce and Tesla, though the terms remain undisclosed. This case adds to a series of similar allegations against Tesla, including a notable case involving Owen Diaz, a former elevator operator who was awarded $3.2 million after a retrial. He had initially been awarded $137 million in 2021 but rejected a judge-reduced offer.
This is just one example of what will probably be dozens of other racial discrimination cases filed against the automaker brand following a 2024 court decision that will allow almost 6,000 Black workers from Tesla Inc.’s California factory to sue over claims that it failed to protect them from racism.
TIME reported that last year, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Noël Wise said the workers should be allowed to proceed with class action status because Tesla’s alleged “pattern or practice” of failing to take reasonable steps to prevent discrimination was a common issue for all the Black workers at the Fremont plant.
