Washington: Media reported that an Indian-American engineer was fired from his long-time job with a missile defence contractor in Alabama for speaking in Hindi with his dying relative in India over a video call.
Anil Varshney, 78-year-old, a senior systems engineer with Parsons Corporation, filed a federal lawsuit alleging systemic discriminatory actions that left him jobless last year. A white coworker heard him speaking in Hindi on a telephone call on September 26, 2022, with his dying brother-in-law in India, according to the report.
“Varshney stepped into an empty cubicle and accepted the call. He made sure there were no classified materials or anything else pertaining to MDA’s (Missile Defence Agency) or Parsons’ work anywhere near him,” said the lawsuit, which also names secretary of defence Lloyd J Austin as legal representative for the MDA.
The two spoke for about two minutes in Hindi when another worker interrupted. “(The worker) told Varshney that the call was not allowed and he immediately hung up.”
The suit claims the worker was “intimidated by Varshney speaking in a language he did not understand” and “falsely and intentionally” reported that the Indian American “committed a security violation by revealing confidential information...”.
“Despite there being no policy prohibiting the call, and without any investigation, the defendants blackballed him from future (MDA) work...,” the suit said. Parsons in a response filed with the court on July 24 said it “denies it engaged in any wrongdoing or that plaintiff is entitled to any relief”. It also asked for the suit’s dismissal with prejudice and demanded Varshney pay its attorney fees and costs, the report says.