U.S. court penalises California State department in caste discrimination lawsuit

U.S. court penalizes California State in Cisco caste discrimination case, highlighting flaws in prosecution and broader implications.

A U.S. court has penalised a California State government wing in the caste discrimination case against Cisco that touched on broader issues of free speech and religious freedom.

The case, which had brought widespread scrutiny and criticism to Indian-American managers Sundar Iyer and Ramana Kompella, culminated in a verdict that awarded Cisco Systems a symbolic $2,000 in sanctions against the California Civil Rights Department (CRD).

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Richa Gautam, founder of CasteFiles, emphasised the broader implications of this verdict and highlighted how the flawed Cisco case had been used to tarnish an entire community an unscientific Equality Labs survey serving as a key piece of questionable evidence.

In a statement, Mr. Gautam noted that the survey's data had been inappropriately cited by academics and media, leading to a widespread but misguided narrative of rampant caste discrimination among Indian-Americans.

The CRD, formerly known as the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), had been accused of unfairly targeting Iyer and Kompella, labelling them as perpetrators of caste discrimination. However, a whistleblower website exposed evidence of prosecutorial misconduct and fabrications by the CRD, bringing to light the flaws in the case, the statement said.

"This decision is particularly significant given the challenging business environment in Silicon Valley, where companies like Riot Games and Tesla have faced substantial financial penalties over discrimination allegations. The CRD, often criticised for its aggressive pursuit of payouts and refusal to mediate, has been dubbed a "Bounty Hunter" by the Cal Policy Centre," CasteFiles said.