Tesla Has Been Denied A Retrial Following Multimillion-Dollar Racism Verdict

Tesla’s request for a retrial following a Black worker’s racism verdict has been denied. 

Tesla’s retrial denied 

According to reports, Tesla’s attempts were denied by District Judge William Orrick, despite the company requesting a new trial over liability and damages brought to the case by Black worker Owen Diaz. 

The car giant has attempted to overturn the racism verdict, but the court still denied their advances. 

The exact reason Judge William Orrick refused to give Tesla a retrial is unknown. Still, considering the past accusations, those who have experienced racial abuse in the workplace mustn’t have their voices silenced by more giant corporations. 

What happened? 

Earlier this year, former elevator operator, Owen Diaz, accused the company of racial discrimination. In the past year alone, Tesla has faced at least ten lawsuits from different workers alleging the workplace embraced a culture that encouraged racial discrimination and sexual harassment. 

Despite Tesla denying any mistreatment of Black workers, Diaz was awarded $136.9 million in damages – thought to be largest verdict in an individual race discrimination in an employment case.

Tesla was found to have turned a blind eye to the racist abuse Diaz suffered while a contract worker at the company’s factory in Fremont, including being repeatedly called the n-word by a supervisor.

However, a few months later, in April, the award was slashed to $15 million after US District Judge William decided that the jury verdict on punitive damages was too high.

Diaz refused to accept the reduced amount and his lawyers pushed for a new trial, which is set to go ahead in March 2023.

Tesla then requested a retrial. As Tesla had already been deemed liable for discrimination, their lawyers argued this would skew the jury’s decision in the trial over damages: the case needed to be tried from the start – over both liability and damages – with a brand new jury.

However, this retrial request has been denied.