Vaughn v. Tesla
Vaughn v. Tesla
Case No. RG17882082 (Alameda Co.): A class of 3,000-4,000 Black/African-American factory workers allege race harassment and discrimination against Tesla, because of (among other egregious problems) pervasive, unaddressed use of the N-word at the Fremont plant, which many call the “Plantation.” The case was featured in major exposé articles in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and in other media. After beating Tesla’s motion to compel arbitration at the trial court in 2018, in 2019, the First District Court of Appeal upheld the denial of Defendant’s motion to compel arbitration (case no. A154753). Three times in 2021, Bryan Schwartz Law, P.C. and co-counsel defeated Defendant’s attempts to eliminate Plaintiffs’ class claims. Plaintiffs defeated Tesla’s appeal in a published Court of Appeal decision holding that the company cannot compel claims to arbitration that Plaintiffs did not agree to arbitrate and could not compel Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) public injunction claims to arbitration.
On May 17, 2024, after more than 6 1/2 years, and over Tesla’s vigorous opposition, Plaintiffs won certification of a class of all Black workers at the Tesla Fremont factory since 2016 who were not subject to arbitration agreements for their entire employment.
On November 17, 2025, the class was decertified. On December 16, 2025, the Alameda County Superior Court denied Tesla’s third motion to compel arbitration in the case. The five named Plaintiffs in Vaugn are set for trial in 2026.
Approximately 580 other Plaintiffs represented by Bryan Schwartz Law and co-counsel have thus far filed suit regarding Tesla’s anti-Black race harassment at the Fremont factory.
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