Tesla faces six new lawsuits alleging the electric car company is not handling sexual harassment properly.
Six women have come forward in lawsuits, claiming they were subjected to constant sexual harassment by co-workers while working inside one of Tesla's California factories.
The lawyer for the women said this is not merely a work problem but one based on an internal office culture that does not appear to take sexual harassment claims seriously. "Elon Musk tweeting a lewd comment about women's bodies or a taunt toward employees who report misconduct reflects an attitude at the top that enables the pattern of pervasive sexual harassment and retaliation at the heart of these cases," said David A. Lowe, who is representing all six women in court. "Tesla has failed to take sexual harassment seriously, from the top of the company down."
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The six lawsuits have been filed in the Alameda County Superior Court. Five of the women were or are currently employed at the Tesla factory in Fremont, California, while one was employed in Tesla service centers throughout Southern California. The women seek compensatory damages, including lost back pay, future lost earnings, and compensation for emotional distress.
All six women faced verbal harassment and unwanted physical advances from co-workers, according to documents sent to the Washington Examiner.
Michaela Curran, 18, joined Tesla after high school. Within weeks of being hired, Curran's supervisor allegedly told her that with her "big butt," she should "shake her a**" and be an exotic dancer for him. He also attempted to slap her backside while she was changing out of her uniform, the lawsuit said.
Jessica Brooks, who assisted with shipping, received unwanted attention from male co-workers as early as her first day of orientation, including several comments about her body. She attempted to stack up boxes around her workstation to hide from co-workers. When she asked the human resources department to address the comments, it claimed it was aware but did nothing. Instead, it forced Brooks, not her harasser, to move to another position and learn new skills for her job, according to the lawsuit.
Eden Mederos faced daily harassment from her fellow technicians, who regularly commented on her backside, according to the filed complaint. When a manager attempted to get close to Mederos without her consent, she reported him to human resources. The manager retaliated by trying to harass and degrade her. When Mederos transferred to a new facility, the manager regularly showed up and publicly criticized her work in an attempt to degrade her. The manager also actively worked to hinder her ability to get promoted, the lawsuit claimed.
The collective six lawsuits arose a month after Jessica Barraza filed a lawsuit against Tesla about "nightmarish conditions of rampant sexual harassment." A second lawsuit was filed last week against Tesla, alleging a "hostile work environment."
Lawsuits against Tesla have been rare because the company requires employees to sign mandatory arbitration agreements, which force any settlements to be resolved outside of court.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Still, litigation against the company has been met with some success. In October, a judge ordered Tesla to pay almost $137 million to a former employee who alleged racial abuse from co-workers.
Musk, Tesla's CEO, made news earlier this week when Time Magazine declared him the 2021 Person of the Year.
Tesla did not respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment, in part due to the company dissolving its public relations department in 2020.