by Daniel Wiessner
(Reuters) – A California state judge has provisionally validated a class action brought by 6,000 black workers against Tesla for alleged racial discrimination and harassment at its U.S. factory in Fremont.
In an order issued Wednesday, Judge Noel Wise of California Superior Court in Oakland said the complaint filed in 2017 presents common issues that could qualify as a class action.
Tesla and the plaintiffs’ attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The automaker said it did not tolerate workplace harassment and had fired employees who engaged in misconduct.
The plaintiffs claim that black workers at the factory were victims of a series of racist acts such as insults, graffiti and the discovery of nooses hanging from their workstations, in reference to the hanging.
This provisional decision comes ahead of a hearing scheduled for Friday, during which Tesla will be able to challenge Noel Wise’s decision, even if judges rarely change their minds.
This decision exposes Tesla to a potential multi-million dollar fine.
(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York, by Kate Entringer)
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