U.S. EEOC Finds Cisco Failed to Protect Employees Amid Post-Oct 7 Tensions
The U.S. EEOC found that tech giant Cisco violated civil rights by failing to protect Muslim and pro-Palestinian employees from a hostile work environment and severe internal threats after October 7.
The employment struggle surrounding the war in Gaza has reached a new peak at tech giant Cisco. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) determined in an official document that the company violated the Civil Rights Act, failing to protect its Muslim, Arab, and pro-Palestinian employees from a hostile work environment and severe threats that erupted in internal forums following the events of October 7.
This is the first time a U.S. federal body has held a major corporation accountable regarding harassment over pro-Palestinian protests in workplaces.
According to the administrative investigation findings, the company's internal forums turned into a fierce confrontation arena. Among other things, calls were recorded telling Muslim employees to "stop living," alongside threats to distribute an Excel file containing the names of over 1,700 employees who signed a petition against the company's ties with Israel.
Complainants presented a bulky 76-page document with examples of Islamophobic remarks, and even accused management of double standards—providing lightning-fast responses to complaints by Jewish employees compared to months of dragging feet in handling threats against them.
Although this is not a criminal verdict or a financial fine, the federal ruling could serve as a legal foundation for private lawsuits against the company. Conversely, Cisco strongly rejects the findings and clarifies that the company thoroughly investigated all reports, removed offensive content, conducted training sessions, and took severe disciplinary measures, including firing an employee who expressed himself offensively.
