Tesla Inc.’s female employees face “massive sexual harassment,” according to a lawsuit from a woman who works at the electric car maker’s Fremont, Calif., factory.
Jessica Barazza, 38, said in a complaint filed Thursday in state court in Oakland that she experienced “nightmare” conditions as a night-shift worker at Tesla, with coworkers and supervisors calling her and other women multiple times. Made rude comments and gestures. One week when she complained to supervisors and human resources, they failed to act, Barraza says.
According to the complaint, she has suffered from panic attacks as a result of such behavior for three years and “is terrified to return to work knowing that her body may be violated at any time without consequence.” “She’s on medication and in therapy, and she’s not the same person she used to be.”
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Barraza’s lawsuit was first reported by The Washington Post.
The case comes as Tesla is already facing a “shocking” $137 million jury decision in favor of a former contract employee who said he experienced widespread racism at the Fremont factory. Tesla is now challenging that prize.
A juror in that case told Bloomberg News that the panel expected Tesla executives to “take the most basic preventive measures and precautions a large corporation neglected to take to protect any employee within its factory.” ”
Tesla has been accused of discrimination at its Fremont plant for years, but most employees are bound by arbitration agreements that keep matters confidential.
For two years, Tesla investors have tried to force the company to disclose more information about how it used arbitration with employees through a shareholder resolution. Each time, the company’s board opposed the attempt, and failed to obtain enough votes for the resolution to pass, despite growing support.
“Tesla has prepared the right to go to court on claims that are important to them by preventing employees from doing so,” said David A. Lowe, an attorney for Barraza and partner at Rudy Axelrod Ziff & Lowe, regarding Tesla’s use. said. Why mediation?
Barraza’s case is “so important on merits,” he said. “This is such a serious and compelling condition that Jessica describes.”
Other women have filed complaints about their experience working at Tesla. Rebecca Spets, a black woman who joined Tesla through a staffing agency in June 2019, alleged in a lawsuit that she was subjected to discrimination based on her race, gender and age. Among other claims, Spett complained to management of touching a coworker’s buttocks, according to a complaint filed in Alameda County Superior Court in September.
Former Tesla employee calls racial slur a rare $1 million prize
In 2020, 31 complaints were filed with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing alleging discrimination based on race, age, gender expression, disability and pregnancy, according to data obtained from public records. The state agency issued the authority to prosecute in most cases; A handful were turned down with insufficient evidence.
The case is Barrazza v. Tesla, 21-CV-2714, Superior Court of California, Alameda County.
(Update with attorney’s remarks in ninth paragraph.)
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