Former Tesla Manager Files Lawsuit Over Alleged Retaliatory Firing
A former Tesla Energy regional manager has filed a lawsuit claiming she was fired after repeatedly warning about "potentially deadly working conditions" at a battery storage facility in Hayward, California. Nina Mirani alleges in court documents that the company's warehouse was dangerously overcrowded with lithium-ion batteries, creating a severe fire hazard that management ignored.
Dangerous Conditions Described in Legal Complaint
According to the complaint filed in San Francisco federal court, Tesla's Hayward facility was regularly overstocked with batteries for Tesla Powerwalls, forcing workers to navigate "dangerously confined pathways" while handling high-voltage material. The lithium-ion cells were stacked in aisles and against walls due to insufficient storage space, with Mirani describing the situation as "ripe for a potentially catastrophic fire."
The complaint states that higher-ups "disregarded legitimate safety concerns" and continued sending large amounts of high-voltage batteries to the facility despite repeated warnings. Compounding the danger, "large amounts of hazardous material were being delivered into the buildings" while they were already over capacity.
Lithium-Ion Fire Risks and Tesla's History
Lithium-ion battery fires present unique dangers as they create their own oxygen, burn extremely hot, and can produce a self-perpetuating chemical reaction known as thermal runaway. These characteristics make such fires extremely difficult to extinguish, with firefighters often having to wait for them to burn themselves out.
Tesla has experienced multiple battery-related incidents in recent years. A series of Tesla battery storage systems at a solar facility in Nevada caught fire twice within 30 days last year, while a Tesla lab in Palo Alto recently saw two battery fires within a month. The company's vehicle manufacturing plant in Fremont has experienced numerous fires over the past decade, and Tesla recalled 10,000 Powerwall 2 battery units in November due to elevated fire risks.
Escalating Concerns and Sudden Termination
Mirani began working at Tesla in January 2019 on the automotive side before transferring to the energy storage division in 2023. Her responsibilities included overseeing two energy distribution hubs where Tesla Powerwalls containing high-voltage lithium-ion batteries were stored alongside solar panels and other components.
In the fall of 2024, Mirani delivered a PowerPoint presentation to a top boss at Hayward, raising "significant safety concerns" about battery overcrowding. She followed up with a walk-through of the facility, pointing out various ways worker safety was being jeopardized. According to the complaint, she warned that the frenetic volume of incoming battery products combined with slower outflow "created conditions ripe for a potentially catastrophic fire, placing employees at serious risk."
Despite bringing her concerns to multiple superiors, nothing changed. In mid-February 2025, Mirani arranged for someone from Tesla's Systems Development Team to shadow her team for a week. The systems executive highlighted the same safety issues Mirani had been raising. When Mirani requested permission to hire additional staff to address the problems, her boss refused and told her to "work with the systems department to come up with better systems."
After the factory ramped up production and her teams received "a flood of high-voltage batteries," Mirani voiced deepening fears but was instructed to "make them fit." She then went to her boss's boss, who agreed to visit the hub within two weeks. Three days later, Mirani was fired.
Alleged Pretext for Termination
According to the complaint, Mirani was told she had been terminated for performance issues and that "several shipments" had been lost under her watch. However, the lawsuit calls this a pretext, noting that Mirani "maintained a consistent track record of excellence for the entirety of her tenure," demonstrated by glowing performance reviews, regular raises, and three performance-based awards in 2024 alone.
The complaint further states that no "missing" shipments ever appeared in the fulfillment team's tracking system and were never mentioned again after Mirani's firing, which the lawsuit says confirms "that no such error had ever occurred."
Broader Pattern of Retaliation Alleged
Aside from Mirani, two other Tesla employees who had also spoken out about safety issues at the Hayward hub were terminated the same day, according to the complaint. Meanwhile, the one employee on Mirani's team who never raised safety concerns was spared.
Mirani's complaint says she has suffered humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional distress, and is seeking general, compensatory, and punitive damages to be determined at trial. Tesla has filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that Mirani's employment agreement directs workplace claims to mandatory arbitration and that her job was "at will." The company also claims there were "legitimate, non-retaliatory reasons" for her termination.
An initial case management conference is set for June 1, 2026.
