A California state judge has rejected Tesla Inc’s bid to send a lawsuit alleging widespread sexual harassment at the company’s flagship assembly plant to private arbitration, allowing it to move forward in court.
Highlights
- California state judge rejects Tesla Inc’s bid to send a lawsuit alleging widespread sexual harassment to private arbitration.
- California Superior Court Judge Stephen Kaus in Oakland denied Tesla’s motion to compel arbitration in a brief order on Monday.
- Plaintiff Jessica Barraza claims workers and supervisors at the Fremont, California plant routinely made lewd comments and gestures to female employees.
- The lawsuit is one of at least seven pending in California state court to make similar claims against Tesla.
- Tesla has said it does not tolerate harassment and has disciplined and fired workers who engaged in misconduct.
- Along with the pending sexual harassment claims, Tesla is facing separate lawsuits accusing it of tolerating widespread race discrimination at its plants.