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A group of current and former employees has filed complaints against Cisco Systems Inc., accusing the tech giant of permitting harassment and discrimination against Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim workers who opposed the company’s provision of technology to the Israeli military. The complaints were filed Thursday with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and the California Labor Commissioner’s Office.

Allegations of Harassment and Retaliation

The employees, represented by Legal Aid at Work, allege that Cisco violated anti-harassment, discrimination, and retaliation laws. The group claims they faced hostility after voicing concerns about the company's involvement in the Israeli military’s response to Hamas’ October 2023 attack.

The employees, part of an internal group called Bridge to Humanity (B2H), raised concerns in an open letter, urging Cisco to stop supplying technology to the Israeli military and to ensure pay parity between Palestinian and Israeli workers. The letter, signed by over 1,700 employees, was removed from Cisco’s internal platform, and employees allege the company failed to address harassment that followed.

Hostility from Internal Forums

The complaints detail instances of harassment on Cisco’s internal forum, the Connected Jewish Network. According to the employees, some forum participants made inflammatory comments, including one that suggested Palestinian-supporting employees should "quit living." Others allegedly collected names of employees who signed the letter and encouraged complaints against them.

The workers claim Cisco’s response was inadequate, contrasting it with the company’s swift action during the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement when employees were terminated for comments such as "all lives matter."

Retaliation Claims

The plaintiffs also allege retaliation, including the termination of four high-performing employees involved with B2H. Cisco justified the firings as cost-saving measures, but the workers argue these actions were pretextual.

Broader Context

The lawsuit highlights tensions within workplaces amid complex geopolitical conflicts and raises questions about corporate accountability and employee rights. Representatives from Legal Aid at Work and Cisco have not commented publicly on the case.