11-30-2021
For almost three years, Jessica Barraza worked as a factory production associate for Tesla in Fremont, California. In her newly filed lawsuit against Tesla, Barraza stated she endured almost daily sexually offensive conduct by her male coworkers. They stared at her breasts, referred to her “onion booty” and “Coke bottle” figure, and brushed up against her body. She described a male co-worker picking her up by her waist and “pressing against her torso under her breasts.” She claimed the supervisory lead propositioned her over text messages. When a male co-worker allegedly stuck his legs between her thighs as she was clocking back in from lunch, Barraza called this incident the “last straw” and felt forced to go on medical leave. Another employee corroborated the last incident to The Washington Post. Barraza stated she has been diagnosed with post-traumatic distress order. Three Tesla workers have corroborated some of Barraza’s allegations to the Post. They described Tesla’s work environment as “male-driven, retaliatory and unwelcoming to women.”
Barraza alleged she notified Tesla’s Human Resources department in September and October with the details of her complaints. She claimed the company did not take appropriate action in response to her complaints. When she had a panic attack at work and went to the emergency room, Barraza stated her supervisor threatened her with job abandonment. Tesla requires employees to sign mandatory arbitration agreements, but Barraza’s attorneys have asserted the agreement is “illegal and unenforceable.” Barraza believes the offensive culture started at the top and referenced Elon Musk’s recent tweet about starting a university entitled, “Texas Institute of Technology & Science.” He tweeted its merchandise would be “epic.” Some individuals interpreted this last statement as a reference to the school’s acronym, “TITS.” Tesla has not issued a press statement in response to Barraza’s lawsuit.