Judge Slashes $137M Bias Verdict Against Tesla Down to $15M
In the blink of an eye, $137 million was slashed by nearly 90% to $15 million. U.S. District Judge William Orrick of the Northern District of California issued a ruling this week holding Tesla liable to Diaz but reduced the amount awarded to Diaz by jurors labeling it "excessive."
April 21, 2022 at 01:45 PM
7 minute read
Jeffrey Campolongo, of Law Office of Jeffrey Campolongo. While mega-billionaire Elon Musk sets his eyes on a hostile takeover of Twitter, his auto conglomerate, Tesla, continues to battle allegations of racial discrimination. As we discussed in October, a jury awarded Owen Diaz, who worked as an elevator operator at Tesla, $137 million in damages after he accused the company of ignoring racial abuse and discrimination. And in the blink of an eye, $137 million was slashed by nearly 90% to $15 million. U.S. District Judge William Orrick of the Northern District of California issued a ruling this week holding Tesla liable to Diaz but reduced the amount awarded to Diaz by jurors labeling it "excessive." See Diaz v. Tesla, 3:17-cv-06748-WHO (N.D. Ca. Apr. 13, 2022)
Racist Statements and Drawings
According to the opinion, Diaz began work at the Tesla factory in Fremont, California, on June 3, 2015. On his second day of work, Diaz first discovered the N-word scratched into a bathroom stall. Over the course of his employment, more racist bathroom graffiti was added and he encountered swastikas and the phrase "death to all [N-words]." Diaz also testified that "eight to 10" employees called him the N-word while he worked at Tesla.
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