The bench trial in Oakland over conditions at the Fremont plant runs through October 30.
Tesla went to trial on September 21, 2026, in a major racial discrimination lawsuit filed by the California Civil Rights Department. The proceedings take place in Oakland before Judge Peter Borkon of the California Superior Court and are scheduled to run through October 30.
The lawsuit, filed in 2022, alleges that Black workers at Tesla's main assembly plant in Fremont were subjected to frequent harassment, including racial slurs and graffiti, without adequate company intervention. The state agency also claims Tesla paid Black staff lower wages, curbed promotion opportunities, and segregated workers into lower-paying roles.
Judge Borkon determined the case will proceed without a jury, leaving the verdict directly to the court. Unlike federal rules, California workplace discrimination law sets no caps on damages, meaning Tesla could face millions of dollars in financial penalties if found liable.
Tesla denies the allegations, stating it does not tolerate discrimination and has fired workers engaged in misconduct. The company faces a similar lawsuit from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and dozens of individual cases, though Judge Borkon previously ruled in a separate case that more than 6,000 Black workers could not sue as a class.
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