Almost 6,000 Black workers from Tesla Inc.’s California factory can sue the car maker collectively over claims that it failed to protect them from racism, under a tentative ruling by a California judge.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Noël Wise said Wednesday the workers should be allowed to proceed with class action status because Tesla’s alleged “pattern or practice” of failing to take reasonable steps to prevent discrimination was a common issue for all the Black workers at the Fremont plant.

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The lawsuit was filed in 2017 by Tesla worker Marcus Vaughn, who claimed that the factory production floor was a “hotbed of racist behavior.” According to the complaint, co-workers and supervisors routinely used racial slurs, and employee complaints to human resources went largely unanswered.

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