Six women who work at Tesla's factory and service center in Fremont, California sued the car company for encouraging a culture of sexual harassment, according to a report published by the Washington Post.

 

The lawsuits have been filed less than a month after two other women took similar legal action. They have alleged a widespread culture of sexual harassment in their workspaces.

 

"Tesla's factory floor looks more like an archaic, crude construction site or a frat house than a cutting-edge company in the heart of the progressive San Francisco Bay Area," said one of the plaintiffs.

 

In addition, the six women's lawsuit also claims that their co-workers consistently make nasty comments about their bodies and the way they dress. They have even engaged in abusive behavior such as inappropriate compliments and touching. 

 

As a measure, some women have gone so far as to wear very loose clothing to hide their bodies. One of the plaintiffs says she put empty boxes around her workspace to avoid comments from co-workers.

 

One of the first lawsuits filed by one of the women who worked at the Fremont factory claims that not only was she the victim of sexual harassment, including inappropriate hugs, and vulgar comments, but she also suffered retaliation from her supervisor once she made a formal complaint with human resources.

 

According to Jessica Barraza, the complainant in that case, her co-workers made vulgar comments about her physique and she was even subject to physical contact.

 

Barraza reported the situation to Tesla's Human Resources department, but according to her complaint, the company failed to act against the alleged perpetrators of the harassment.

 

Following Barraza's complaint, the law firm Johnson Fistel, which is not connected to the complaints filed so far against Tesla, said in a statement that it is investigating claims against "certain executives and directors" at the company.

 

The law firm noted that Tesla shareholders may have a legal case that the company should not suffer consequences by holding "executives and directors" personally liable for the "alleged harm caused."

 

Elon Musk, CEO of the company, has not directly addressed the lawsuits, but has made several jokes of a sexual nature on Twitter that have only worsened the situation.