Coming after Diaz v Tesla [1] where Tesla was found guilty of racial harassment and discrimination in that same Fremont, California plant (as can be seen here on page 3-11 [2]) to a degree that the jury deemed it worthy of a $136.9 million award, the single largest award in a race harassment case in American history [2]. That award was later reduced for procedural reasons as it was beyond the maximum limit the law allows. And further reduced in a subsequent trial evaluating direct damages due to emotional distress and loss of work which, as a matter of law, restricted the maximum allowable punitive damages. Despite that, the jury found it necessary to award punitive damages in excess of the standard maximum of 9:1 [4] which was upheld by the courts as, in the words of the judge: "Tesla’s conduct was reprehensible and repeated"[5] and as such the award in excess of standard maximums was "appropriate in light of the endemic racism at the Tesla factory and Tesla’s repeated failure to rectify it"[6].
Coming after Diaz v Tesla [1] where Tesla was found guilty of racial harassment and discrimination in that same Fremont, California plant (as can be seen here on page 3-11 [2]) to a degree that the jury deemed it worthy of a $136.9 million award, the single largest award in a race harassment case in American history [2]. That award was later reduced for procedural reasons as it was beyond the maximum limit the law allows. And further reduced in a subsequent trial evaluating direct damages due to emotional distress and loss of work which, as a matter of law, restricted the maximum allowable punitive damages. Despite that, the jury found it necessary to award punitive damages in excess of the standard maximum of 9:1 [4] which was upheld by the courts as, in the words of the judge: "Tesla’s conduct was reprehensible and repeated"[5] and as such the award in excess of standard maximums was "appropriate in light of the endemic racism at the Tesla factory and Tesla’s repeated failure to rectify it"[6].
[1] https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-cand-3_17-cv-06...
[2] https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-cand-3_17-cv-06...
[3] https://www.civilrightsca.com/key-verdicts/diaz-v-tesla-race...
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Farm_Mutual_Automobile_I...
[5] https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-cand-3_17-cv-06... Page 29
[6] https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-cand-3_17-cv-06... Page 1 End of Paragraph 1.