Callum Jones
A recently filed lawsuit has offered an insight into what allegedly happened at a Tesla factory where Elon Musk previously worked in a HR role.
While Tesla has been extremely successful in the electric car space, there have been a few controversies surrounding the company in recent years.
Ozell Murray, a former police officer who was in charge of security at a factory in Fremont, claims in a federal suit obtained by The Independent that his team would 'routinely' seize cocaine and fentanyl onsite, while also tasked with investigating 'acts of sexual deviance' within the factory.
The complaint states: "Healthy profits have always been more important to the Company than a healthy working environment. For Tesla, more bodies on the manufacturing line meant more vehicles flying out the factory door – no matter how unclean the hands were that were assembling those cars."
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It was Murray and former Tesla HR execs Linda Peloquin, Adam Chow, Tiara Paulino, Sharnique Martin and Gregory Vass who have brought forward the complaint, claiming Musk was directly involved in who was hired and fired at the factory.
"Musk was a frequent visitor to the facility—and not just for high-level photo opportunities, but to take a hands-on approach to managing, directing, and facilitating resolution of the manufacturing and workforce issues at the plant," the complaint says as per the Independent.
"Musk would frequently visit the plant and conduct issue-resolution meetings with actual line employees, not just upper management bureaucrats. Musk would hold – meetings with line-level employees from every function of the plant – from the manufacturing line to operations to HR – and issue directives right then and there to resolve the issues employees raised."
The complaint has delved into some of the alleged misconduct that took place at the Tesla factory, with one bit claiming the 'use of the ‘N-word' was 'prevalent' at the place of work.
The suit adds: "Many who have worked there have likened the workplace to the Jim Crow South; an environment in which Black employees and brown-skinned workers are besieged with constant racial abuse, stereotyping, and hostility – including with repeated use of inarguably the most brutal and degrading racial slur in the history of humanity: N****r.
"Black Tesla employees have reported regularly encountering nooses on desks and other equipment as well as seeing the word ‘N****r’ graffitied on walls, in bathroom stalls, elevators – even on new Tesla vehicles rolling off the production line."
UNILAD has reached out to Tesla for comment.