Tesla is being sued by a female employee in the US for alleged sexual harassment, the second such case in less than a month.
The two lawsuits allege a “hostile work environment” against women at the carmaker’s US factory.
Erica Cloud, a Tesla assembly line worker, accused defendants including her former manager of “continuous and pervasive” sexual harassment in a lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court in California on Wednesday.
She alleges the manager hugged and massaged her while making crude and suggestive remarks.
She said she is now experiencing retaliation from other managers after complaining to Tesla’s human resources team about the misconduct.
Tesla and other defendants subjected her to “a hostile work environment stemming from animus towards her gender, sexual harassment,” the lawsuit says.
No Public Relations Unit
Tesla did not immediately responded to Reuters’ emailed questions about the lawsuit. Tesla does not have a public relations department.
On November 18, another Tesla worker, Jessica Barraza, filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging rampant sexual harassment at its main factory in Fremont, California.
“The pervasive culture of sexual harassment, which includes a daily barrage of sexist language and behavior, including frequent groping on the factory floor, is known to supervisors and managers and often perpetrated by them,” the lawsuit alleges.
In October, an African-American contract worker won a $137 million jury award over workplace racism against Tesla. Shareholders subsequently approved a proposal to ask it to publish a report on the company’s diversity and inclusion effort.
Tesla shares slid 6% on Thursday to close at $1,003.80. The stock price has been hit recently by a selloff by chief executive Elon Musk.
“Tesla continued to slump as Musk sold $5 billion worth of shares after responding to a Twitter poll,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell in London.
“Maybe running your business according to the whims of social media isn’t such a good idea,” he added.
- Reuters, with George Russell
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