California appeals court rules no arbitration in Cisco caste bias case

The brand of networking gear maker Cisco Programs Inc is seen throughout GSMA’s 2022 Cell World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain February 28, 2022. REUTERS/Nacho Doce

OAKLAND, Calif., Aug 5 (Reuters) – Cisco Programs Inc (CSCO.O) on Friday misplaced a courtroom attraction to maneuver to non-public arbitration a case over alleged caste discrimination in its Silicon Valley places of work, the place managers of Indian descent are accused of bias towards a fellow worker from India.

The networking gear and enterprise software program firm has denied the allegations. It had argued to a California appeals courtroom that the state’s Civil Rights Division, which had introduced the case on behalf of a employee recognized underneath the pseudonym John Doe, ought to be subjected to an employment arbitration settlement signed by Doe.

“As an unbiased celebration, the Division can’t be compelled to arbitrate underneath an settlement it has not entered,” the appellate panel wrote.

In a separate order Friday, it informed a lower-court decide to rethink a ruling that will have required the state to determine Doe. The decrease courtroom had mentioned the regulation prevented it from contemplating whether or not Doe’s relations in India may very well be harmed by naming him.

The upper courtroom wrote that “hurt to relations wherever is a official consideration in figuring out whether or not a celebration ought to be granted anonymity.”

Cisco and the state company didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.

The traditional socioreligious idea of caste has led to centuries of oppression towards some households born into the bottom groupings in India. California has alleged that these biases had traveled to the U.S. tech trade, the place Indians are the biggest pool of immigrant staff.

The state sued Cisco in 2020 after Doe complained to it about firm human sources workers not discovering advantage in his considerations that two higher-caste managers had allegedly denied him work and disparaged him.

The lawsuit has ignited advocacy at U.S. firms, universities and different establishments calling for extra tips and coaching associated to the potential for caste prejudice.

Reporting by Paresh Dave; Modifying by David Gregorio & Shri Navaratnam

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