25-04-2025
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
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.
