Six Women Sue Tesla For Sexual Harassment at Fremont Factory

Six current and former female employees filed separate lawsuits accusing Tesla of enabling a workplace culture of “rampant” sexual harassment at its factory in Fremont, California. The company allegedly created a work environment that normalized subjecting female employees to sexual remarks, catcalling and inappropriate touching. Coworkers and supervisors harassed them regularly.

The lawsuits were filed in California Superior Court in Alameda County on December 14, 2021. Five of the plaintiffs worked at the Fremont facility, while one worked in service centers across Southern California.

One of the women who sued Tesla claimed the harassment was so pervasive that she had to use stacked boxes to create a barrier around her workstation to stop colleagues from whistling at her. When she reported the harassment to Human Resources, Tesla moved her to a different area of the plant instead of directly addressing the situation.

The lawsuits followed a sexual harassment complaint filed by Jessica Barraza a month earlier. She described the work environment at Tesla’s Fremont plant as “nightmarish,” claiming the factory floor looked more like a “frat house” than the site of one of the country’s most advanced electric carmakers.

Most of the plaintiffs in the seven lawsuits against Tesla have linked the harassment they experienced to CEO Elon Musk’s behavior. One complaint claimed he made lewd jokes that “caused the technicians to be even worse.” Musk’s alleged conduct enabled a pattern of pervasive sexual harassment and retaliation at the factory.

Any form of sexual harassment, whether verbal or physical, is unacceptable in the workplace. When employees report harassment at work, the employer has a duty to take the complaints seriously and investigate them. Ignoring such complaints or failing to stop the harassment violates labor laws. 

If you have suffered sexual harassment at work, contact Erlich Law Firm right away. You may have grounds to take legal action against your employer. Discuss your situation with an experienced Oakland employment lawyer to learn more.