WASHINGTON: The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has approached a US appeals court, arguing that California’s civil rights regulator has wrongly linked caste discrimination to Hinduism and targeted Indian and South Asian communities, in a case that could shape how caste is addressed in US workplaces.
In a reply brief filed on April 6 before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, HAF urged the court to remove what it called procedural hurdles that led a lower court to dismiss its lawsuit against the California Civil Rights Department (CRD). The foundation said the district court erred by not examining the substance of its claims.
HAF argues that the CRD’s enforcement approach “explicitly and implicitly links ‘caste’ to Hinduism and people of Indian or South Asian descent, ” effectively singling out a minority community.
The case traces back to a high-profile complaint filed by the CRD against Cisco Systems and two managers, alleging caste-based discrimination. The regulator publicly stated it had “Sue(d) Cisco Systems, Inc. and Former Managers For Caste-Based Discrimination” and filed action under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act.