Six more women who work at Tesla's Fremont, California, factory and service center have reportedly filed lawsuits against the company. Each woman has filed a separate lawsuit in California Superior Court in Alameda County, alleging sexual harassment in the workplace. The new lawsuits come less than a month after two other women filed similar lawsuits against the company.
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According to the plaintiffs, their male colleagues often made lewd comments about their bodies or clothing and engaged in abusive behavior, such as shouting and inappropriate touching. Some women went so far as to wear baggy clothes to hide their bodies. One of the plaintiffs, Jessica Brooks, says she tied a flannel shirt around her waist to hide the back of her body in an attempt to avoid the harassment.
Brooks told The Post that she reported the matter to human resources, but was simply transferred to a different work location. Other women who did the same claim they were treated the same way Brooks was. They claim the behavior was not addressed and they were simply transferred to another location in the plant. The Post also notes that some women did not feel comfortable talking to HR about the matter, as they claim their managers also participated in the abusive behavior.
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Another woman, Eden Mederos, told The Post that “everything got worse” once the Model Y was announced and Tesla CEO Elon Musktweeted “S3XY,” an acronym that refers to the Model S, 3, X, and Y. Musk also frequently tweeted jokes that mentioned “69” or “420” and other childish content, which Mederos told The Post “resulted in the technicians being even worse.”
These six additional lawsuits come on the heels of Jessica Barraza, who also works at Tesla’s Fremont, suing for “rampant sexual harassment.” Like many of the other women who have sued Tesla, she also alleges that she was subjected to harassment, touching, and inappropriate comments. And just a few days ago, another woman, Erica Cloud, sued Tesla for sexual harassment and retaliation, with her allegations echoing many of those made by the other plaintiffs. In addition, Tesla was ordered to pay $137 million after a black employee alleged that he experienced racism and discrimination at the California factory. A class action lawsuit has also been filed, alleging a racist workplace culture.
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“Elon Musk making a lewd comment about women’s bodies or mocking employees who report inappropriate behavior on Twitter reflects an attitude that enables the pattern of pervasive sexual harassment and retaliation at the heart of these cases,” says attorney David A. Lowe, a partner at Rudy Exelrod Zieff & Lowe, who represents the six women.
