California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which is now called the Civil Rights Department, the state’s agency responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws, has also sued Tesla, claiming among other things that Black workers are “severely underrepresented” in management positions.

“It is telling that every government agency and workers’ advocate who looks at this situation has the same reaction,” Bryan Schwartz, an Oakland lawyer who represents plaintiffs in the class action suit, said in an email. “Tesla’s racist harassment of and discrimination against Black workers is horrific, and unlawful, and must be addressed on a systemic, class-wide basis.”

Lawyers for Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.

In a 2022 statement in response to the California state agency’s lawsuit, Tesla said it “strongly opposes” all forms of discrimination. The company described that case as “a narrative spun” by the state agency and plaintiffs’ law firms.

The suit by the E.E.O.C. accuses Tesla of violating federal law by “engaging and continuing to engage in discrimination against Black employees at the Fremont factory by subjecting them to severe or pervasive racial harassment and by creating a hostile work environment because of their race.”

“The racial misconduct was frequent, ongoing, inappropriate, unwelcome and occurred across all shifts, departments and positions,” the lawsuit says.