Tesla goes on trial today over allegations that its flagship Fremont factory subjected thousands of Black workers to racial slurs, segregation, and lower pay. The case is brought by the state of California, covers more than 6,000 workers, and carries no cap on damages.

 

It’s the biggest of the many discrimination cases Tesla has been fighting since 2017, and the first one brought by a government agency to reach a full trial.

 

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD, formerly the DFEH) filed the suit in February 2022, after a nearly three-year investigation prompted by hundreds of worker complaints.