FREMONT, Calif: Many believe Tesla, Inc. stands out as an innovative and groundbreaking company that is at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution. As a result, Owen Diaz, his son Demetric Di-az, and Lamar Patterson were thrilled when they landed work at Tesla's Fremont Factory through contract staffing agencies.
These dreams turned into nightmares when each was subjected to racial epithets, racist graffiti, and a hostile work environment. Today they filed suit. This is the second suit brought by California Civil Rights Law Group in 2017 against Tesla for racial discrimination.Instead of a modern workplace at Tesla, Plaintiffs encountered a scene straight from the Jim Crow era. Plaintiffs endured a culture seeped in the N-word, racial abuse and racist Pickaninny images drawn on boxes with no repercussions.
"What these three new cases bring to light is how Tesla's progressive image seems to be merely a facade papering over regressive, demeaning treatment of African-Americans - both employees and contract employees. All three men were targets of on-going racially motivated abuse, including the frequent use of racial slurs and Jim Crow-era graffiti. The plaintiffs complained to their supervisors but Tesla, Inc. took no effective actions," said Attorney Larry Organ of the California Civil Rights Group.
Per Wikipedia, "Pickaninny is a racial slur which refers to a depiction of dark-skinned children of African descent. It is a racist and derogatory caricature, whose meaning and usage grew to fruition in the antebellum American south, where race-based slavery was legal."
The lawsuit was filed in Alameda County Superior Court. It alleges 16 civil rights and employment law violations as well as retaliatory and whistleblower violations. A copy of the filings, racist graffiti, and photographs of the plaintiffs can be accessed here.
Attorney Larry Organ is available for comment. The plaintiffs have chosen to do no additional media interviews.
