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Federal Court rejects HAF claims in caste discrimination case
The legal dispute dates back to the summer of 2020, when the California Civil Rights Department filed a lawsuit against tech giant Cisco Systems.
Hindus for Human Rights is a U.S.-based non-profit advocacy group founded in 2019. / Facebook/Hindus for Human Rights
A federal court in California rejected the Hindu American Foundation’s (HAF) claims seeking to frame legal action against caste-based discrimination as an infringement on religious freedom.
This ruling is considered to be a significant development in the ongoing battle over caste discrimination in the United States
The ruling, issued on Aug.12, 2024, thwarted efforts by the HAF to maintain the anonymity of plaintiffs in a case challenging the California Civil Rights Department (CRD). The court rejected the anonymity because their claims were "vague and conclusory" and did not meet the legal standards required to protect their identities.
They further critiqued the notion of upper-caste victimhood. The court stated that "personal discomfort with the Department’s Cisco Action" did not constitute a "plausible likelihood of threats or harm." HAF has been given one more opportunity to amend its complaint and the court mandated that the plaintiffs either be identified by name or be removed from the case.
In response to the ruling, advocates against caste discrimination have issued a joint statement challenging the case presented by the HAF.
"In India, where Hindus are the majority, there are laws to protect those oppressed by caste; no such laws exist in the U.S. If Hindu supremacists continue to dominate the narrative in the U.S., they may exploit the most vulnerable within their community, the caste-oppressed, under the guise of religious freedom. No minority group should be allowed to violate the rights of minorities within" said Hindus for Human Rights.
The legal dispute dates back to the summer of 2020, when the California Civil Rights Department, formerly known as the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), filed a lawsuit against tech giant Cisco Systems. The CRD alleged that the company engaged in caste-based discrimination against an employee of Indian descent.
In response, HAF initiated its legal action against the CRD in September 2022. They argued that the lawsuit violated the religious freedom of Hindus by associating caste with Hinduism. In August 2023, a federal court dismissed HAF's arguments as "highly speculative and implausible’.
They ruled that the CRD's lawsuit would not compel Hindu Americans to seek religious accommodations for caste-based discrimination, nor would employers be inclined to grant such requests.
HAF, again, filed an amended complaint in September 2023. They added 12 individual plaintiffs, including three anonymous individuals, who claimed that the CRD's actions would violate their religious freedoms. The CRD challenged the anonymity of these plaintiffs, leading to the recent court decision.
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