During opening statements on Monday, Bernard Alexander, a lawyer for Diaz, compared the Fremont plant to a “plantation” where Black workers were targeted for harassment and their complaints were ignored by managers. 

Tesla has maintained that it does not tolerate workplace harassment and takes discrimination complaints seriously. The company’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, told jurors on Monday that Diaz was exaggerating his claims of emotional distress and there was no evidence warranting a multimillion-dollar award. 

Jurors have heard testimony from five workers and supervisors at the Fremont plant, a Tesla human resources manager, and a lawyer who conducts investigations into workplace disputes who served as an expert witness for Diaz. 

The lawyer testified that while Tesla had adopted adequate anti-bias policies, the company failed to properly investigate and respond to complaints from Diaz and other Black workers.