Federal Court Decisively Rejects Hindu American Foundation’s Constitutional Challenge in Caste Discrimination Ruling

In a landmark decision that civil rights advocates are calling historic, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California on July 18 delivered a decisive ruling upholding the state’s constitutional authority to combat caste discrimination.

The court made the ruling in response to an allegation by the Hindu American Foundation that had claimed that the California civil rights department’s enforcement of anti-caste policies violated the “constitutional rights of all Hindu Americans.”

The ruling represents a comprehensive rejection of the Hindu American Foundation’s (HAF) legal challenge against the California Civil Rights Department’s (CRD) enforcement actions, including its high-profile litigation against Cisco Systems for alleged caste-based workplace discrimination.

Court Dismisses Claims Across Multiple Fronts

Judge Dale A. Drozd dismissed HAF’s Second Amended Complaint without leave to amend, stating that the organization’s arguments were so fundamentally flawed that “amendment would be futile in this case.” The court’s ruling addressed four critical areas:

Authority Affirmed: The court reaffirmed that the CRD has full constitutional power to pursue legal action on behalf of individuals facing caste-based discrimination.

Legitimacy Recognized: The court explicitly stated that CRD’s litigation efforts, including the Cisco case, constitute legitimate state action rather than personal legal representation.

Religious Freedom Claims Rejected: The court ruled that anti-caste enforcement does not violate the religious rights, equal protection, or due process of Hindu Americans, calling HAF’s argument “entirely unpersuasive.”

Standing Denied: Perhaps most significantly, the court rejected HAF’s claim to represent all Hindu Americans, finding the organization failed to demonstrate actual community engagement or standing that would grant it legal authority in the case.

Karthikeyan Shanmugam, Convenor of the Ambedkar King Study Circle, a California-based anti-caste advocacy organization, hailed the decision as transformative.

“This is a historic win,” Shanmugam said. “It affirms that caste discrimination is a civil rights violation and cannot be shielded by claims of religious freedom. The court’s judgment makes it clear that enforcing civil rights laws does not infringe on religious liberty.”

Dr. Roja Singh, President of the Dalit Solidarity Forum, emphasized the ruling’s broader implications: “The decades-long campaign of caste-based oppression in the U.S. is finally being confronted. This ruling affirms that caste discrimination violates civil

Notably, the victory was also celebrated by Hindu advocacy organizations that disagree with HAF’s approach. Vivek Kembaiyan, Western Regional Organizer at Hindus for Human Rights, criticized what he called the weaponization of religious freedom arguments.

“Hindu far-right groups have continued to weaponize the language of civil rights and religious freedom, but they continue to fail miserably in the courts,” Kembaiyan stated. 

“The Hindu American Foundation and its right-wing extremist allies do not speak for Hindus, and their arguments that caste has nothing to do with Hinduism is dishonest and harmful.”

Jawad Ahmed, President of the Indian American Muslim Council, framed the decision in broader civil rights terms: “This judgment is an important affirmation of what we all know: that CRD’s lawsuit was in pursuit of affirming civil rights and human dignity for all, and that no group should weaponize its identity to double down on systemic forms of oppression.”

The Cisco Case That Sparked Federal Litigation

The legal battle stems from California’s groundbreaking 2020 lawsuit against Cisco Systems, alleging that the tech giant failed to prevent caste-based discrimination against a Dalit engineer by his upper-caste colleagues. The California Civil Rights Department dismissed its case against two individual Cisco engineers in April 2023 but maintained its lawsuit against Cisco as a whole.

The Hindu American Foundation announced in September 2022 that it had sued the California Department of Civil Rights in federal court, claiming the agency sought to define what Hindus believe by asserting that caste-based discrimination is integral to their faith and culture.

This marks the second time a federal court has rejected HAF’s arguments. A similar lawsuit filed in September 2023 was also dismissed, though the organization was initially granted leave to amend. The July 18 ruling’s denial of even that opportunity signals the court’s view that the legal foundation of HAF’s challenge is fundamentally unsound.

The decision establishes important legal precedent affirming that civil rights enforcement targeting caste discrimination does not constitute religious persecution or government overreach. It clarifies that state civil rights departments have both the authority and obligation to protect individuals from caste-based discrimination in workplaces and other public accommodations.

The ruling also addresses a key tension in HAF’s legal strategy, with the judge noting what the court called the hypocrisy of the organization simultaneously claiming that caste is not integral to Hinduism while arguing that anti-caste protections infringe on Hindu religious rights.

Coalition Response and Broader Movement

The statement announcing the victory was released by the Ambedkar King Study Circle with support from all members of the Savera coalition, a network of organizations working to combat caste discrimination in the United States.

As civil rights advocates celebrate this legal victory, the ruling is expected to strengthen efforts to address caste discrimination across multiple states and institutions. The decision sends a clear message that American civil rights laws extend protection to those facing caste-based oppression, regardless of attempts to shield such discrimination under claims of religious freedom or cultural tradition.

The court’s emphatic rejection of HAF’s standing also raises questions about the organization’s claims to represent the broader Hindu American community, particularly as other Hindu advocacy groups have publicly supported anti-caste civil rights enforcement.