Managers spoke in Hindi…: What the discrimination lawsuit filed by Cognizant’s former employees claims

A US district court has found IT giant Cognizant guilty of discriminatory practices against non-Indian employees, based on a complaint filed by several former workers. The Central District Court of California ruled on October 4 that the company's conduct meets the standard for punitive damages in a decade-old class-action lawsuit.
According to MoneyControl, which viewed a copy of the complaint, four ex-employees - Christy Palmer, Vartan Piroumian, Edward Cox, and Jean-Claude Franchitti -- allege that they faced discrimination for not being of Indian origin.They claim Indian managers often spoke Hindi to exclude non-Indians from discussions, failed to invite them to group lunches, and deliberately turned their backs on them during meetings.
The plaintiffs assert they were terminated after being placed on the bench, a term used in the IT industry for employees temporarily without projects. They argue that non-Indians were promoted less frequently and subjected to a hostile work environment by Indian employees.
Jean-Claude Franchitti further alleges he was asked to sign hundreds of fraudulent invitation letters used to secure US visas for Indian workers. He claims 99 percent of these letters were for non-existent jobs.
The former employees state they were often replaced by less-qualified Indian workers on client projects, despite their extensive experience and qualifications.
Cognizant has denied the allegations and plans to appeal the verdict. A company spokesperson expressed disappointment with the court's decision, stating, "We provide equal employment opportunities for all employees and have built a diverse and inclusive workplace that promotes a culture of belonging."