Tesla Settles “Welcome to the Plantation” Lawsuit

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Elon Musk’s company Tesla reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by employee Raina Pierce over racial discrimination.

Pierce alleged that at the Fremont, California factory where she installed car door latches on Tesla cars, a manager sometimes greeted her with “welcome to the plantation” and “welcome to the slave house.” Pierce said she was harassed and called a gender-based insult. Graffiti on bathroom walls included racial slurs. Pierce said she was punished for behavior that got no punishment for non-Black coworkers.

Last year Tesla settled a similar lawsuit from 2017 about the same factory by former elevator operator Owen Diaz, also Black. The settlement ended back-and-forth appeals after a multimillion dollar award by a jury.

A class action lawsuit by thousands of current and former employees and contractors against Tesla about such issues of discrimination and harassment is due to go to trial this autumn.

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