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California regulators sued Cisco Techniques on Tuesday, accusing it of discriminating towards an Indian-American worker and permitting him to be harassed by two managers as a result of he was from a decrease Indian caste than them.
US employment regulation doesn’t particularly bar caste-based discrimination, however California’s Division of Truthful Employment and Housing contends within the lawsuit that the Hindu religion’s lingering caste system is predicated on protected lessons comparable to faith.
The lawsuit, filed in federal courtroom in San Jose, doesn’t identify the alleged sufferer. It states he has been a principal engineer at Cisco’s San Jose headquarters since October 2015 and that he was born on the backside of caste hierarchy as a Dalit, as soon as known as “untouchables.”
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Like different giant Silicon Valley employers, Cisco’s workforce contains hundreds of Indian immigrants, most of whom have been born Brahmins or different excessive castes.
Former Cisco engineering managers Sundar Iyer and Ramana Kompella are also defendants within the lawsuit, which accuses them of harassment for internally imposing the caste hierarchy.
Cisco spokeswoman Robyn Blum mentioned the community gear maker adopted its course of to analyze worker considerations on this case and would “vigorously defend itself” towards the lawsuit.
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“Cisco is dedicated to an inclusive office for all,” she mentioned. “We have been absolutely in compliance with all legal guidelines in addition to our personal insurance policies.”
Iyer and Kompella didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. It was not instantly identified if the 2 have retained attorneys.
The civil rights group Equality Labs in a 2018 report cited within the lawsuit discovered that 67 % of Dalits surveyed felt handled unfairly at their US workplaces.
At Cisco, the unnamed worker reported Iyer to human sources in November 2016 for outing him as a Dalit to colleagues. Iyer allegedly retaliated, however Cisco decided caste discrimination was not unlawful and points continued by way of 2018, the lawsuit states.
Cisco reassigned and remoted the worker, rejected a elevate and alternatives that might have led to 1 and denied two promotions, in keeping with the lawsuit.
Hindus historically grouped folks into 4 main castes based mostly on ancestry, and Dalits in India nonetheless battle with entry to schooling and jobs 65 years after India banned caste-based discrimination.
