TESLA MANAGER SUES OVER FULL SELF-DRIVING SAFETY OPERATIONS

Javier Medrano, a manager overseeing Tesla's Full Self-Driving testing operations in Houston, has sued the company alleging unlawful retaliation after raising concerns about safety oversight. Medrano claims Tesla created "rolling hazards on public streets" by expanding the number of vehicles and operators under his supervision without providing additional staffing or resources. The lawsuit states that Medrano was responsible for overseeing between 15 and 38 operators during his employment from October 2024 to May 2025, a ratio he argues violated Tesla's own "mandated 15:1 safety baseline."

According to the complaint, Medrano's responsibilities included auditing driving clips, conducting weekly ride-alongs, managing safety incidents and maintaining on-call availability throughout the week. The lawsuit alleges that when Medrano raised concerns about the workload with Tesla Autopilot Director Pete Scheutzow, his concerns were dismissed. Medrano worked an average of 60 to 80 hours per week and described his situation in communications to management as an "S.O.S signal," citing difficulty sleeping and eating whilst meeting job expectations. The complaint details a collision that occurred whilst Medrano was managing the fleet, stating he processed the accident whilst physically asleep and subsequently provided "unsafe guidance" to an operator.

Medrano claims his attempts to formally escalate the safety issues and document Tesla's resource shortfalls in the Houston region led to his termination. The lawsuit characterises the understaffed safety structure as a predictable outcome of Tesla's decisions rather than Medrano's failure. Tesla has not publicly responded to the allegations.