The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has determined that Cisco may have violated the civil rights of Middle Eastern and Muslim employees due to anti-Arab and anti-Muslim comments on internal messaging platforms. In a letter of determination issued in June, the EEOC stated that Cisco subjected its employees to a hostile work environment, following a complaint filed in December 2024 by a group of employees known as "Bridge to Humanity" (B2H). This group raised concerns about the company's technology being supplied to the Israeli military.
In a separate open letter sent months earlier, B2H called on Cisco to cease providing technology to the Israeli government, gathering over 1,700 signatures from the company's workforce of more than 86,000 employees. The December complaint alleged that Cisco removed the open letter from an internal site and that many signatories faced harassment. One allegation included a comment made by an employee telling another to "quit living."
The employees claimed that Cisco did not respond to their complaints until they compiled a 76-page report detailing the hate comments received in an internal messaging group called Connected Jewish Network. This report highlighted various hate comments, including one from November 2023, where an unnamed employee expressed gratitude for violence against Palestinians. The report stated that the Connected Jewish Network was not a safe space for all Jewish colleagues.
The EEOC's determination indicated that Cisco retaliated against one unnamed employee for her involvement in pro-Palestine efforts by terminating her. The complaint was filed by Legal Aid at Work, a nonprofit legal services organization. Christopher Ho, director of the national origin and immigrants’ rights program at Legal Aid at Work, noted that this determination marks a significant legal finding in favor of tech workers advocating for corporate accountability regarding technology sales to Israel.
Advocacy groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), commended the EEOC's decision, emphasizing the importance of accountability and the protection of civil rights for employees speaking out about Palestine. CAIR's civil rights managing lawyer, Jeffrey Wang, stated that employers must address harassment and discrimination fairly.
Despite the EEOC's determination in June, mediation efforts between the agency and Cisco have reportedly stalled. Legal Aid at Work has also filed a complaint against Cisco with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the California Labor Commissioner, alleging unlawful interference with employees' rights to engage in concerted activity and political activities. Both complaints are still pending.
An EEOC spokesperson stated that inquiries and charges filed with the agency are confidential and cannot be confirmed or denied. Cisco did not respond to requests for comment.