If you’ve ever wondered why it seems that leaked Tesla pictures or videos like the recent one of a Cybertruck with weird camo are the way the public finds out about future products, we have the answer. Tesla doesn’t have a PR department, so instead of calculated informational releases, we really only get official word on products from the brand every once in a while. Well, this week, Tesla broke its silence on its own personal blog to call out an upcoming discrimination lawsuit.
According to the electric vehicle maker, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) is about to file a new lawsuit against Tesla alleging systematic racial discrimination and harassment. They also say that the suit is focused on misconduct by production associates between 2015 and 2019. What’s also interesting is how they frame the rest of the argument against the DFEH.
First, they claim that despite investigating Tesla for some three years, the agency hasn’t raised any concerns about current work practices at the company. At the same time, multiple individuals have filed lawsuits against Tesla in discrimination cases over the past few years. The most financially significant of those was a suit that resulted in a $137 million judgment against Tesla in October of last year.
Related: Another Former Tesla Employee Files A Lawsuit, This Time For “Festering” Racism And Homophobia
Tesla also says that the DFEH has actually responded to nearly 50 complaints of discrimination over the last five years and that none of those cases found any misconduct on the part of the automaker. That’s not to say that some employees weren’t discriminating against others, but it does seem to indicate that Tesla for its part responded appropriately in those cases.
It’s rare to see a brand speak out ahead of a suit like this but for its part, Tesla is going on the offensive by communicating its game plan. They say that they’ll “ask the court to pause the case and take other steps to ensure that facts and evidence will be heard.” Now we wait to see how the DFEH responds to this rare public statement from Tesla. We just wish there was a PR department that would respond to a few questions.
