Tesla settles lawsuit over ‘welcome to the plantation' remark made to Black employee
Tesla has settled a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by a Black female employee who accused the company of racist remarks and unfair treatment at its Fremont manufacturing facility, court records reveal.
The plaintiff, Raina Pierce, worked on the production line, installing latches on car doors. In her lawsuit, she claimed a manager frequently greeted workers with phrases like, 'Welcome to the plantation' or 'Welcome to the slave house.'
The settlement, reached through mediation, was disclosed in a filing on Thursday in San Francisco federal court. The terms of the agreement were not made public, and lawyers for both parties have declined to comment.
Pierce's lawsuit alleges pervasive racial and gender-based harassment throughout her employment at Tesla – racial slurs were reportedly scrawled in various parts of the plant, including restrooms. She also claimed to have been called a gender-based insult and disciplined for behavior that white coworkers were allowed to engage in without consequence.
One Tesla employee reportedly advised Pierce to take the issue to human resources, saying, 'Ma'am, you need to go to HR because these leads are saying things about you that are not right.'
The case adds to a growing list of discrimination and harassment claims Tesla has faced, particularly at its Fremont plant. In 2024, the company settled a high-profile case with Owen Diaz, a Black former elevator operator, who had initially won a $137 million jury award for racist abuse before accepting a reduced $3.2 million settlement after a retrial.
A class action lawsuit representing thousands of current and former Black employees at Tesla is also pending, as well as a civil rights case filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Tesla has denied wrongdoing in these ongoing cases but has not commented on the Pierce settlement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Byron Allen Reaches Settlement With McDonald's In Lawsuit Claiming Racial Bias In Advertising
Byron Allen's Entertainment Studios and The Weather Group have reached a settlement with McDonald's in a lawsuit over the fast food giant's alleged lack of support for Black-owned media companies. McDonald's defeated the complaint in 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, but Allen appealed. The parties announced the settlement Friday, though no financial details were disclosed. More from Deadline Paramount Says Abrupt Dismissal Of Longtime Media Agencies WPP Media And Horizon Was Driven In Part By Push For "Greater Efficiency" - Update AMC Says New NCM Preshow Ads Don't "Negatively Influence Moviegoing Habits" Tastes Great, Less Filling? Report On Meta Plan For Cheaper, Fully AI-Made Ads Boosts Tech Giant's Stock As Media Agency Shares Slump Under the settlement, McDonald's will still buy ads from ESN, which controls a range of broadcast and streaming properties, 'in a manner that aligns with its advertising strategy and commercial objectives,' a press release said. and ESN will dismiss its lawsuit against McDonald's The fast food company is not admitting any wrongdoing and the press release affirmed that the ads sold will be priced at market value. 'We are pleased that Mr. Allen has come to appreciate McDonald's unwavering commitment to inclusion, and has agreed to refocus his energies on a mutually beneficial commercial arrangement that is consistent with other McDonald's supplier relationships,' McDonald's said in a statement. 'Our company's unique three-legged stool model relies on mutual respect, and we look forward to ESN's contributions to the betterment of our system.' The presumed injection of capital into Allen's companies comes as they face the same pressures hitting all media companies due to cord-cutting and declines in advertising. He recently enlisted Moelis & Co. to explore a sale of his local TV stations. 'We are pleased to find a resolution that maintains our business relationship,' ESN and The Weather Co. said. 'During the course of this litigation, many of our preconceptions have been clarified, and we acknowledge McDonald's commitment to investing in Black-owned media properties and increasing access to opportunity. Our differences are behind us, and we look forward to working together.' Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Springfield Police searching for tips in Tuesday retail theft
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — The Springfield Police Department is asking for help identifying two people whom officials accused of retail theft. The theft happened Tuesday at the Ulta Beauty on South Veterans Parkway. Officials did not go into detail about the crime or the value of stolen merchandise, but they did release images of the suspects. One is a Black male who was wearing a navy-blue jacket, a white t-shirt and a blue baseball cap. The other is a Black, dark-haired woman who was wearing a red or orange top and floral-patterned pants. Springfield Police issue 57 citations during traffic enforcement detail Anyone who can identify the suspects is asked to call the Springfield Police Department at 217-788-8325 or Sangamon/Menard County Crime Stoppers at 217-788-8427. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gary man gets 70 years for killing marijuana dealer
A Gary man got 70 years Friday for killing a marijuana dealer. Tyrone Reno, 34, was convicted last month of murder in the Nov. 15, 2021, death of Quintez Johnson, 31, plus a gun enhancement. He faced up to 85 years. Johnson's two kids, aged 8 and 6, were in the apartment when he was shot. At trial, jurors viewed footage of an unmasked man running down a stairwell just after Johnson's death. They returned a guilty verdict after 15 minutes. Reno has said he is innocent and plans to appeal, his lawyer Natalie Williams said in court Friday, asking for a 45-year sentence. During lengthy remarks, Deputy Prosecutor Milana Petersen said Reno killed Johnson over cash and a 'little bit of weed.' She ultimately asked for 75 years. Johnson's mother, emotional on the stand, said her grandson still wouldn't eat spaghetti because it was the last dinner he ate with his dad. She expressed empathy for Reno's family. My son would have helped you, she told Reno. 'I just want to know why,' she said. 'He would have done anything you asked.' Earlier in the hearing, Petersen questioned Detective James Nielsen on videos from Reno's Facebook account. They showed him holding guns, money with rap music playing, or smoking. Williams objected throughout – saying they were posted in 2022 or later. His Facebook account was deactivated around the time of Johnson's death, she said. The lawyer argued there was no proof he was in a gang, a point Judge Salvador Vasquez agreed. Posting videos on Facebook with guns, money or rap music was not proof he lived a violent life. It was a false conjecture, she argued. Gary Police responded that day to an apartment building on the 1300 block of W. 5th Avenue for a homicide. Detectives found a trail of marijuana up the stairs to an open Pringles inside a third-floor apartment. Johnson was lying on the sofa. He had been shot twice in the head. There were no signs of struggle. Security cameras showed a Black man — later identified as Reno — arriving at Johnson's apartment, then fleeing about three minutes later. He had a handgun and a backpack with marijuana. Police believe Johnson was shot around 2 p.m. While a patrolman was writing a report at the Gary Police Station, 555 Polk St., a man who matched the one seen on the video walked by him and a colleague. He was wearing the same clothes, including a Black hoodie with white lining and brown tag. The other officer approached him. Reno gave his name, but he wasn't arrested, since the man in the video wasn't identified yet. Police learned Johnson started selling marijuana a month earlier to help pay his bills. Reno was arrested two years later. Investigators used 'facial recognition software' to help match security footage outside the Gary Police station to the man seen on camera at Johnson's apartment, court filings show. That left some questions on the software's accuracy. State lawmakers recently passed legislation to tighten standards for witness identification on photo lineups. It requires police to tell witnesses a suspect might not be in the lineup, cutting pressure to pick a photo; 'filler' photos – the non-suspects — have to look as close to a suspect as possible, and a witness' 'confidence' will have to be recorded. It also requires police to corroborate an identification by facial recognition software with other evidence. The law goes into effect July 1. mcolias@
