Tesla loses bid to move sexual harassment lawsuit to arbitration

Might 24 (Reuters) - A California state judge has rejected Tesla Inc's (TSLA.O) bid to send a lawsuit alleging widespread sexual harassment at the firm's flagship assembly plant to personal arbitration, permitting it to maneuver ahead in court docket.

California Superior Court docket Choose Stephen Kaus in Oakland denied Tesla's movement to compel arbitration in a short order on Monday.

In a written opinion released on Tuesday, Kaus mentioned Tesla had improperly pressured the plaintiff, Jessica Barraza, to signal an arbitration agreement after she had already give up her previous job.

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"Basically, Barraza was ambushed," the judge wrote.

Barraza within the lawsuit filed in November claims workers and supervisors on the Fremont, California plant routinely made lewd feedback and gestures to feminine workers, and that the company failed to deal with complaints.

The lawsuit is one in every of at the least seven pending in California state court docket to make related claims towards Tesla. Kaus is presiding over 5 more of those instances.

Tesla did not instantly reply to a request for touch upon Tuesday.

David Lowe, a lawyer for Barraza, referred to as the choice "a victory for public accountability."

"Due to this ruling... Tesla will likely be judged by a jury of Ms. Barraza's friends in a public courtroom," Lowe mentioned in an announcement.

Together with the pending sexual harassment claims, Tesla is dealing with separate lawsuits accusing it of tolerating widespread race discrimination at its crops. A California judge final month awarded $15 million to a Black former manufacturing unit employee who said he was subjected to racist slurs and graffiti from coworkers. read more

Tesla has stated it doesn't tolerate harassment and has disciplined and fired workers who engaged in misconduct.

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Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York, Modifying by Rosalba O'Brien

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