The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has determined that Cisco likely violated federal civil rights protections for Middle Eastern, Muslim, and other employees, according to a finding reached earlier this summer. The determination is believed to represent the first major company fault-finding by the federal agency related to pro-Palestinian advocacy that emerged across campuses and workplaces in recent years.
Complaints filed by employees in December 2024 documented how an internal communications platform at Cisco became filled with racist and Islamophobic messages following the October 2023 attacks in Israel. The hostile content intensified after more than 1,700 employees signed a public letter questioning the company’s business relationships with the Israeli government. Posts on the platform celebrated violence against Palestinian civilians and targeted individual Cisco workers who advocated for Palestinian rights.
The EEOC’s San Jose office director issued a determination letter in June stating that the agency found reasonable cause to believe Cisco had subjected employees to a hostile work environment based on national origin, religion, and association with Middle Eastern and Muslim individuals, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The complaints arose following an April 2024 open letter coordinated by a group of mostly Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim employees calling on the company to disclose its business dealings with the Israeli military and protect signatories from retaliation.
Cisco disputed the EEOC’s findings in a statement, asserting that the company had thoroughly investigated concerns and taken appropriate action. Legal representatives for the affected employees countered that Cisco had failed to address harassment seriously and had delayed response by two months before removing some posts it deemed inappropriate. Several employees who led efforts to challenge the company’s Israeli ties have subsequently been terminated, laid off, or forced out, according to former workers. The employees have also filed grievances with the National Labor Relations Board and California labor commissioner, with both remaining under review. Mediation efforts between the EEOC and Cisco proved unsuccessful, with employees now considering litigation options.
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