Skip to content
  • MyNewMarkets.com
  • Claims Journal
  • Insurance Journal TV
  • Academy of Insurance
  • Carrier Management
Insurance Journal - Property Casualty Industry News

Featured Stories

  • Lengthy Government Shutdown to Impact Insurers
  • FEMA, Customs and Border Protection Staff Data Stolen
  • Articles
  • Jobs
  • Markets

Current Magazine

current magazine
  • Read Online
  • Subscribe
  • Login
  • Front Page
    • National
    • International
    • Most Popular
    • Magazine
    • Forums
    • Blogs
    • Videos/Podcasts
    • Newsletters
  • News
    • Most Popular
    • National
    • International
    • East
    • Midwest
    • South Central
    • Southeast
    • West
  • Magazines
  • Research
  • Directories
  • Jobs
  • Features
    • Events
    • Forums
    • Market Directories
    • Quotes
    • Polls
    • Rankings & Awards
    • Insurance Giving Back
  • Subscribe

Tesla Drops Minority-Worker Language After Musk’s Rants Over Diversity Initiatives

By Richard Clough | February 1, 2024
Email This Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Article

Tesla Inc. removed language about minority workers and supporting employee resource groups from one of its regulatory filings after Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk’s recent comments criticizing diversity initiatives.

In its latest 10-K filing released early Monday, Tesla omitted a line from a year ago that read: “With a majority-minority workforce, empowering our employee resource groups to take charge in driving initiatives that attract, develop and retain our passionate workforce is vital to our continued success.”

Musk has repeatedly denounced diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in recent weeks on social media, calling them “literally the definition of racism.” In another post on X, the social network he owns, Musk said “DEI must DIE,” referring to the acronym for diversity policies.

A DEI backlash in the US has gained steam after the Supreme Court banned race-based admissions in higher education. While the ruling didn’t cover businesses, many have become become less vocal on the issue and are reconsidering diversity recruitment and hiring programs.

Musk also sparked controversy last year after he endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X. The comment and accusations that racism proliferates on the platform led to various companies pausing advertising. Musk has since tried to counter accusations of antisemitism, including by visiting Auschwitz.

The latest filing still notes that Tesla’s human-resources policies are designed to “promote fairness and respect for everyone,” and the company says it won’t tolerate discrimination over race, religion, sexual orientation or other characteristics.

Diversity has long been a sensitive issue for the carmaker, even before Musk’s condemnation of DEI. Tesla has faced numerous complaints and lawsuits over racial discrimination and other forms of harassment at its plant in Fremont, California.

The state’s civil rights regulator sued the company in 2022 after finding a pattern of mistreatment of Black workers at the facility near San Francisco. Tesla has pushed back against what it called a “misguided” suit. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a similar case against the company.

Tesla isn’t the only company to publicly pull back on commitments to diversity. McDonald’s Corp. removed the term ESG — referring to environmental, social and corporate governance policies — from parts of its website last summer. Attacks from conservative activists have led to a scaling back of DEI programs at a handful of organizations, including Pfizer Inc.

Related: Corporate America Is Rethinking Diversity Hiring as Legal Challenges Rise

America First Legal, founded by Stephen Miller, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, has filed EEOC letters against more than 20 companies, including American Airlines Group Inc., Macy’s Inc., McDonald’s and Salesforce Inc. The group argues that efforts to hire and promote more women and people of color are discriminatory.

Photo: Photo by Omar Marques/Getty Images

Copyright 2025 Bloomberg.

Topics Tesla

Was this article valuable?

Thank you! Please tell us what we can do to improve this article.

Thank you! % of people found this article valuable. Please tell us what you liked about it.

Here are more articles you may enjoy.

Florida Reforms Are Truly Making a Difference, Gallagher Re Report Finds
IBHS Study Shows Smaller Hail May Be More Damaging to Roofs Than Once Believed
Adobe stockHanover Must Pay Rock Singer $2M in Case of Studio Arson, Court Says
US Government Shutdown Curtails Key Weather and Climate Programs

Written By Richard Clough

More From Author

Interested in Diversity?

Get automatic alerts for this topic.

Email This Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Categories: National NewsTopics: diversity equity inclusion (DEI), Elon Musk, environmental social governance (ESG, Tesla
  • Have a hot lead? Email us at newsdesk@insurancejournal.com
More News
ALDOI to Hold Hearing on Planned ProAssurance Merger with FD Insurance
All Injured in Deadly NC Waterfront Bar Shooting Released from Hospital
Markets/Coverages: HSB Launches Cyber Risk Solution for SMEs in UK and Ireland
Charlie Javice Duped JPMorgan Out of $175 Million. The Bank Is Picking Up Her Legal Tab
More News Features

Read This Next

  • Tesla Drops Minority-Worker Language After Musk's Rants Over Diversity Initiatives
  • Hedge Funds Targeting Fire Insurance Hit a Wall in California
  • Be a Leader by Listening to Employees and Clients
  • Hanover Must Pay Rock Singer $2M in Case of Studio Arson, Court Says
  • Industry Reps Back Reauthorization of Federal Terrorism Backstop

Insurance Jobs

  • Customer Service Agent – Personal Lines - Bethlehem, PA
  • Workers Compensation Claims Adjuster | NY Jurisdiction - Syracuse, NY or Open to remote
  • Senior Insurance Agent (3+ Yrs P&C Exp | W-2 | Warm Leads | In-Office Only) Senior Insurance Agent (3+ Yrs P&C Exp | W-2 | Warm Leads | In-Office Only) - Westminster, CO
  • Claims Manager, Insurance & Risk Management - Queens, New York
  • Licensed Inside Sales Representative (Remote – Home Based Work) - Wichita, KS
MyNewMarkets
  • How to Attract the Next Generation to Insurance
  • 5 Evolving Trends Shaping Architects and Engineers Coverage
  • Rethinking Assault & Battery Liability in Commercial Real Estate
  • From Golf Greens to Sausage Fests: The Wild World of Prize Insurance
  • As Schools Prepare to Pay Athletes, What Role Will Insurance Play?
Claims Journal
  • Jaguar Land Rover Bailout Shows Rising Cost of Cybercrime
  • Chobani Urges End to Dannon Parent's Cold-Brew Coffee Lawsuit
  • J&J Must Pay $966M After LA Jury Finds Company Liable In Talc Cancer Case
  • Toyota Recalling 394K Vehicles for Rearview Camera Issue, NHTSA Says
  • Vietnam Capital Flooded Again After Storm Matmo Sweeps In
Academy of Insurance education
  • October 9 Forward Into The Past: Certificates of Insurance, Additional Insureds, and Other Contractual Risk Transfer Issues
  • October 16 Auto Insurance: You Get What You Pay For
  • October 23 Gotchas That'll Getchya - Latest Policy Language That'll Get You Sued
  • October 30 Challenges in Agency Mergers – Reducing Staff Flight and Avoiding E&O Claims

Insurance News

  • News by Region
  • News by Topic
  • Yesterday

Site Search

Features

  • Insurance Markets Directory
  • Forums
  • A.M. Best Company Ratings
  • Industry Events
  • Agencies For Sale
  • Newswire
  • Insurance Jobs
  • Rankings & Awards

Connect with us

  • Email Newsletters
  • Magazine Subscriptions
  • For Your Website
  • RSS Feeds
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Do Not Sell My Info

Insurance Journal

  • Submit News
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Reprints
  • Link to Us
  • Contact Us

Wells Media Group Network

  • Insurance Journal
  • MyNewMarkets.com
  • Claims Journal
  • Insurance Journal TV
  • Academy of Insurance
  • Carrier Management
© 2025 by Wells Media Group, Inc. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Site Map