Feds say Cisco likely failed to protect pro-Palestinian workers from harassment

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has concluded there is "reasonable cause to believe" that Cisco Systems violated the civil rights of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim employees after they faced harassing messages. These messages were allegedly posted on an internal forum called the Connected Jewish Network. The EEOC's determination follows media reports and an investigation into the tense atmosphere at the tech company following the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on southern Israel.

Pro-Palestinian employees had called on Cisco to cease its commercial relationship with Israel, while Jewish employees alleged the company had failed to shield them from harassment by pro-Palestinian colleagues. The EEOC's case centered on messages exchanged in the internal Connected Jewish Network forum. A complaint filed by Legal Aid at Work, representing Muslim and pro-Palestinian employees, stated that Jewish forum members had "repeatedly glorified violence, joked about sending people to their deaths" and "labeled Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims as murderous, violent, terrorists."

A company spokesperson told The Guardian that despite having "all the resources in the world," Cisco had failed to respond adequately, implicitly suggesting that pro-Palestinian employees were unworthy of protection. While this finding does not constitute a binding ruling, it could bolster the employees' cases if they choose to file individual lawsuits.

The EEOC has not indicated it will file a lawsuit. The employees are contemplating collective and individual legal action.