SAN FRANCISCO, CA — At least 30 employees of Cisco Systems have penned an open letter to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) addressing its deeply concerning case against Cisco Systems by highlighting the severe dishonesty displayed by the CRD, which they believe unfairly targeted both them and their employer. The letter also points out that the CRD’s case has damaged the image of businesses employing people of South Asian immigrant backgrounds and has made it difficult for them to be in Silicon Valley. An agency assigned with the noble duty of protecting civil rights was most blatant in abusing them.

“This has hindered our careers and left a damaging scar on many lives. People avoided social interactions with many colleagues in fear of being subject to, or of being party to some form of perceived discrimination,” the letter reads. “Especially if they had an immigrant South Asian background, derogatory questions based on a person’s ethnic background became common. Even the reputed Washington Post showed no concern in publishing anonymous letters with no credible supporting evidence generalizing that “working with Indian managers is a living hell”. Thus demonstrating blatant racism. This took a severe emotional toll on us.”

Activist organizations, claiming to represent Dalits, opportunistically echoed the dubious accusations brought by the CRD against Cisco employees, leading to extensive negative press coverage. Allegations were presented as facts and hateful slurs like “those corporate malignant brahmins” were splashed in a trial by media against the two Cisco engineers at the center of this dubious case. Additionally, there were over 53,000 mentions of the hitherto alien word “caste” in U.S. media and Cisco was continuously named in articles. Employees endured a presumption of guilt that tarnished their reputations and propagated an emotionally charged narrative without objective public discourse.

The Cisco employees’ letter continues, “As a result of the adverse publicity from the CRD’s hyperbole, all employees, especially immigrant South Asians were deemed responsible for degrading the culture at Cisco. Despite Cisco’s public statements, the reputational harm done to us has not been dispelled. Redress for this harm caused to our personal lives is likely not possible, and the time we have lost is gone forever. Without restitution, our reputations are tarnished permanently.”

The letter recounts three years of prolonged anguish, during which the reputations of the Cisco employees were diminished, and their self-worth questioned. They faced suspicion and judgment from colleagues and encountered derogatory questions based on their ethnic backgrounds. The emotional toll was severe, hindering their careers and prompting some colleagues, including those on precarious visas, to leave Cisco, California, and even the United States.

Furthermore, the employees assert that a network of activist groups, such as Equality Labs, exacerbated their misery with libelous lies empowered by a taxpayer-funded state agency.

It is imperative that the CRD take a public stance to exonerate Cisco employees of any implied guilt and help restore their reputations. The anomalous and unusual press release by Kevin Kish leading to public shaming of the managers has caused notoriety not only for Sundar Iyer and Ramana Kompella but also for Cisco, Cisco employees and the entire Indian American community in Silicon Valley.

The Cisco employees request that Cisco Systems actively pursue restitution on their behalf and noted that the CRD’s concealment of crucial details has shattered their trust in the department’s ethics and its ability to act as a neutral arbitrator on caste issues.

If you are interested in understanding the truth about caste and race, please visit the Caste Files website at http://www.castefiles.com and become part of the conversation.

For more information, contact info@castefiles.com

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