EEOC sues Tesla for racial harassment and retaliation against Black workers

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued Tesla, accusing the electric car maker of violating federal law by tolerating widespread and ongoing racial harassment of its Black employees and by subjecting some of these workers to retaliation for opposing the harassment1. The EEOC filed the suit against Tesla on Thursday, alleging that non-Black offenders at Tesla “bandied slurs and epithets openly” around high-traffic work areas around or on the vehicle production lines1. Supervisors and managers allegedly witnessed the racially offensive conduct but failed or refused to intercede1. When Black workers at Tesla reported the “slurs, insults, graffiti and misconduct” to Tesla’s human resources department, employee relations teams or other managerial personnel, the company failed to take appropriate corrective action1.

Key facts:

• The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued Tesla, accusing the electric car maker of violating federal law by tolerating widespread and ongoing racial harassment of its Black employees and by subjecting some of these workers to retaliation for opposing the harassment1.
• The EEOC filed the suit against Tesla on Thursday, alleging that non-Black offenders at Tesla “bandied slurs and epithets openly” around high-traffic work areas around or on the vehicle production lines1.
• Supervisors and managers allegedly witnessed the racially offensive conduct but failed or refused to intercede1.
• When Black workers at Tesla reported the “slurs, insults, graffiti and misconduct” to Tesla’s human resources department, employee relations teams or other managerial personnel, the company failed to take appropriate corrective action1.
• This is not the first time Tesla has been accused of racial discrimination and harassment. Fifteen Black former or current employees at Tesla filed a lawsuit against the electric car maker in 2022, alleging they were subjected to racial abuse and harassment at its factories4.