State of California v. Tesla Motors
(Transcript from TikTok video:
Marcus Vaughn, Former Tesla Employee: When I was working at Tesla, I experienced on the line being called the N-Word, different people calling me the N-Word. Not just workers, there were actually managers or supervisors and stuff like that on the line. Where I come from, you know, you just don’t do that at work. It’s not a place to be called that.
Larry Organ, Attorney: When you’ve got over a hundred people who have said they’ve been called the N-Word at the Tesla factory in Fremont, that’s pretty overwhelming evidence that there’s a problem there.
Marcus: When I wrote Elon Musk a letter explaining what was going on on the line, I never heard back from him. But, probably a few weeks after that, I ended up getting let go for no reason. I got let go for not having a positive attitude. After Tesla, it was hard for me to find a job that could pay my bills
Text reads, “Marcus Vaughn filed a legal complaint against Tesla for racial discrimination. He is one of dozens of black Tesla employees who have filed complaints”
Marcus: I feel like if more people start coming out about things like this, things will start to change.)
Electric auto company Tesla is currently being sued by California’s Agency for Fair Employment Claims for creating a hostile work environment specifically for black employees.
This is not Tesla’s first lawsuit pertaining to a racist work environment. The auto industry, like many other industries in the U.S, has a long history of racism.
Lawsuits such as the one being brought forth on behalf of black workers in Fremont, California can indicate where society as a whole stands on these issues. The results of this lawsuit will signify what is and isn’t an acceptable workplace culture. If the racism outlined in the allegations against Tesla is found to be permissible according to the court, it should signal to us that a cultural shift in our society, and systems of power, is necessary.
Have you ever experienced discrimination in a workplace on the basis of an identity you hold? Please share your thoughts and experiences with us in a comment below.
-Your Friends at Undoing Racism