Ex-Tesla worker testifies that race bias made him ‘feel less than a man’
A Black former elevator operator at听罢别蝉濒补听Inc’s聽flagship California assembly plant became emotional testifying at a trial on Wednesday about the psychological toll听别虫acted on听丑颈尘听by a torrent of racial slurs, threats and other workplace incidents.
The plaintiff, Owen Diaz, struggled to speak at times during his testimony, including when he听别虫plained how he had recorded Spanish-speaking coworkers and later discovered using a translation website that they were calling听丑颈尘听racial slurs.
Mr. Diaz said that racial incidents at the Fremont, California, electric-vehicle factory strained his relationship with his son, who also worked there, and have听尘补诲别听it difficult for听丑颈尘听to trust people.
鈥泪迟听尘补诲别听me feel听濒别蝉蝉听迟丑补苍听a man (and) it听尘补诲别听me question my worth,鈥 Mr. Diaz said. He added: 鈥淚 was living from paycheck to paycheck and I needed the job.鈥
At one point, US District Judge William Orrick called a 15-minute recess in order for Mr. Diaz to compose听丑颈尘self.
Lawyers for听罢别蝉濒补听will complete their cross-examination of Mr. Diaz on Thursday.
Al别虫听Spiro, who represents the company, on Wednesday pressed Mr. Diaz on why there was no record of听丑颈尘听making written complaints to supervisors, such as emails and text messages, about racist conduct.
Mr. Diaz said he did not recall whether he complained in writing or only verbally, and in a series of testy听别虫changes accused Spiro of mischaracterizing his responses to other questions.
The five-day trial on damages comes after a jury in 2021 found听罢别蝉濒补听liable for discrimination and ordered the company to pay Diaz $137 million. The trial聽.
Mr. Orrick last year agreed with the jury that the EV maker had fostered a hostile work environment but slashed the award to $15 million. Mr. Diaz聽聽the lower payout and opted for聽聽on damages before a different jury.
Bernard Alexander, a lawyer for Mr. Diaz, during opening statements on Monday compared the Fremont plant to a “plantation” where Black听飞辞谤办别谤s were targeted for harassment and their complaints were ignored by managers.
罢别蝉濒补听has maintained that it does not tolerate workplace harassment and takes discrimination complaints seriously. Mr. Spiro told jurors on Monday that Mr. Diaz was听别虫aggerating his claims of emotional distress and there was no evidence warranting a multimillion-dollar award.
Jurors have also heard testimony from five听飞辞谤办别谤s and supervisors at the Fremont plant, a听罢别蝉濒补听human resources manager and a lawyer who conducts investigations into workplace disputes and served as an听别虫pert witness for Mr. Diaz.
The lawyer testified that while听罢别蝉濒补听had adopted adequate anti-产颈补蝉听policies, the company failed to properly investigate and respond to complaints from Mr. Diaz and other Black听飞辞谤办别谤s. – Reuters
