The former elevator operator at Tesla that was awarded $15 million after suing the carmaker alleging racial abuse from coworkers has rejected the payout.
In 2017, Owen Diaz filed a lawsuit against Tesla, claiming that his colleagues and a supervisor subjected him to a hostile work environment. He alleges to have heard slurs and seen caricatures and swastikas at Tesla’s Californian factory. Diaz has also claimed that colleagues left offensive graffiti in the restrooms and a racist drawing in his workspace.
The case went to trial last year and in October 2021, a judge ordered Tesla to pay Diaz $130 million in punitive damages and $6.9 million for the emotional distress that he endured during his time working for the company. However, in April, U.S. District Judge William Orrick lowered the jury award to $15 million and denied Tesla’s motion for a new trial, as long as Diaz accepted the lower payout.
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