Cristina Balan, formerly an engineer at Tesla, is embroiled in a years-long legal fight with Elon Musk and the electric vehicle company. She is a fierce advocate for her mission. This struggle has continued for decades. Balan is as fierce a mother as it gets, and she’s going to be focused on proving her innocence and getting her name cleared for her son. Her journey began when she raised safety concerns regarding curling carpets under some pedals in Tesla models, which she claimed created a significant safety hazard.
In 2014, Balan exposed a serious design defect that he claimed could compromise the entire braking mechanism of Tesla’s vehicles. As a consequence, she was fired from her job. Since her termination, she has repeatedly claimed that she used Tesla’s resources for an imaginary “secret project.” In 2019, she made the courageous decision to stand up and file a defamation lawsuit against Tesla in order to clear her name.
Unfortunately for her dedication to students, a recent arbitration decision ruled against her claims. In a dismissal favored to Tesla, the court dismissed the claims under California’s statute of limitation. However, the court ruled that Balan’s case should be arbitrated. This ruling is the result of an arbitration provision she signed as an employee of the corporate entity. Balan hopes that, with this ruling, her case will finally return to the drawing board. This creates a real opportunity for new enforcement proceedings to occur.
Balan recalls her time at Tesla fondly, noting that her initials were engraved on the batteries of the Model S vehicles during her tenure. She isn’t backing down on the same patterns of harassment and discrimination that led to her firing. She is relentless in her pursuit of justice for what she feels is wrongful treatment.
Tesla has not responded to inquiries for this story about Balan’s still-unfolding legal fight. She is unbowed and looks forward to bringing her case again before a jury.
“I wish Elon Musk had the decency to apologise.” – Cristina Balan
Balan is just as resolute about clearing her name. She has underscored the need for safety priorities to be instilled at every level of the company, from the board down. She hopes that by facing Musk and Tesla in open court, she can shed light on the issues she raised and hold the company accountable for its actions.