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🇶🇦 Qatar /Crime & Justice

Cisco Accused of Fostering Hostile Workplace for Muslim and Arab Employees

From Al Jazeera · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Documents & data Under investigation
  • The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Cisco may have subjected Middle Eastern and Muslim employees to a hostile work environment.
  • The finding followed a complaint from Cisco employees who opposed the company’s alleged technology sales to the Israeli military and reported harassment after signing an open letter.
  • The EEOC said Cisco retaliated against one unnamed employee by terminating her for involvement in pro-Palestine efforts.

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has found that Cisco may have violated the civil rights of Middle Eastern and Muslim employees amid a wave of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim comments on the company’s internal messaging platforms.

The EEOC made the finding in a letter of determination issued in June, according to a document obtained by Al Jazeera. The case grew out of a December 2024 complaint filed by Cisco employees belonging to a group called Bridge to Humanity, or B2H.

quit living

— Unnamed Cisco employeeThe remark was cited in allegations that employees who signed a pro-Palestine open letter faced harassment.

The employees had raised concerns that Cisco technology was being supplied to the Israeli military for use in Israel’s war on Gaza. Months earlier, they sent an open letter asking the San Jose, California-based company to stop providing technology to the Israeli government. More than 1,700 of Cisco’s over 86,000 employees signed the letter.

The workers alleged that Cisco removed the letter from an internal site and marked it “under review.” They said many signatories were then harassed, including through a remark telling one employee to “quit living.” The group later submitted a 76-page report to Cisco’s Employee Relations and Ethics offices after, they said, the company failed to respond to their complaints.

Israeli passersby killed 2 members of a Palestinian family in Jerusalem this morning, and I for one am extremely grateful

— Unnamed Cisco employeeThe statement appeared in a 76-page report cataloguing hate comments in an internal messaging group.

The report catalogued hate comments in an internal group called Connected Jewish Network. One November 2023 message said: “Israeli passersby killed 2 members of a Palestinian family in Jerusalem this morning, and I for one am extremely grateful.” The report said employees had glorified violence, joked about sending people to their deaths, compared Palestinians and people with opposing views to animals, and labeled Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims as murderous, violent terrorists.

The EEOC determination also said Cisco retaliated against one unnamed staff member by terminating her for involvement in pro-Palestine efforts.

safe space for all of our Jewish colleagues

— Bridge to Humanity reportThe report said the internal group failed to provide a safe environment for Jewish employees as well.
About this summary

Originally published by Al Jazeera in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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