A lawsuit recently brought to light provides a glimpse into the alleged activities at a Tesla factory where Elon Musk once held a role in human resources.
Tesla has made significant strides in the electric vehicle industry, but it hasn’t been without its controversies in recent times.
According to a federal lawsuit accessed by The Independent, Ozell Murray, a former police officer responsible for security at the Fremont factory, claims that his team “routinely” confiscated cocaine and fentanyl on the premises. They were also tasked with probing “acts of sexual deviance” occurring in the factory.
The lawsuit asserts: “Healthy profits have always been more important to the Company than a healthy working environment. For Tesla, more bodies on the manufacturing line meant more vehicles flying out the factory door – no matter how unclean the hands were that were assembling those cars.”
The complaint involves Murray and former Tesla HR executives, including Linda Peloquin, Adam Chow, Tiara Paulino, Sharnique Martin, and Gregory Vass, who allege that Musk had direct involvement in the hiring and firing decisions at the factory.
The complaint states: “Musk was a frequent visitor to the facility—and not just for high-level photo opportunities, but to take a hands-on approach to managing, directing, and facilitating resolution of the manufacturing and workforce issues at the plant,” as reported by the Independent.
It further describes Musk’s involvement: “Musk would frequently visit the plant and conduct issue-resolution meetings with actual line employees, not just upper management bureaucrats. Musk would hold – meetings with line-level employees from every function of the plant – from the manufacturing line to operations to HR – and issue directives right then and there to resolve the issues employees raised.”
The complaint highlights some of the alleged misconduct within the Tesla factory, noting that the use of the ‘N-word’ was reportedly prevalent in the workplace.
The suit further states: “Many who have worked there have likened the workplace to the Jim Crow South; an environment in which Black employees and brown-skinned workers are besieged with constant racial abuse, stereotyping, and hostility – including with repeated use of inarguably the most brutal and degrading racial slur in the history of humanity: N****r.”
It recounts reports from Black Tesla employees who have regularly encountered nooses on desks and equipment, as well as the racial slur “N****r” graffitied on walls, in bathroom stalls, elevators, and even on new Tesla vehicles as they came off the production line.
UNILAD has reached out to Tesla for their comments on these allegations.