NEW YORK, Sept 23 — Tesla Inc on Thursday countersued the California agency that has accused the electric carmaker of tolerating widespread race discrimination at its flagship assembly plant.
Tesla’s counter-lawsuit alleges that the CRD violated state law by not seeking public comment before adopting procedures for investigating and suing employers. Tesla is seeking an order barring the CRD from following its allegedly unlawful procedures in the investigation of any employer and requiring the agency to adopt new regulations through a formal rulemaking process.
But the complaint filed on Thursday may allow the company’s lawyers to uncover new details about the CRD’s practices and its investigation of Tesla through the discovery process, which could bolster its efforts to have the case dismissed.