Judge Says Tesla Is Still Racist, but Not $137 Million Racist

A federal judge dropped the price of a jury's $137 million penalty on electric car giantTesla to just $15 million over a widespread pattern of mistreatment of a Black worker at its northern California plant.

The judge stood by the jury's decision despite the drop in damages being announced yesterday. Orrick noted in his decision that there was evidence of racist harassment at the California Factory and that managers did not do anything to stop it.

The original case was brought by a black man who worked at the plant as an elevator operator for nine months. During the trial, he said he had been called racial slurs by his coworkers. His coworkers drew racist caricatures and swastikas around the plant, and managers did little to stop the abuse.

At the time, the company said that the language was said in a friendly manner and that it had fired two contractors and suspended another.

The jury and judge did not see it that way.

The judge said that the original damages were excessive and that the damages were unconstitutional.