A defense contractor in Alabama fired a longtime engineer after a White co-worker heard him speaking Hindi, a lawsuit alleges.
78-year-old Anil Varshney sued Huntsville missile contractor Parsons Corporation for discrimination a year after being dismissed from his job, reports Al.com.
According to the Times of India, the conversation took place over Facetime during a conversation with his dying brother-in-law. Parsons accused him of a security violation by making a video call from a classified worksite.
Varshney denies violating company policy saying there is no ban on using Facetime. He’s also received numerous awards including Contractor of the Year in systems engineering.
“Mr. Varshney accepted the call from his brother-in-law in an empty cubicle and spoke to him for approximately two minutes,” the lawsuit states. “Despite there being no policy prohibiting the call, and without any investigation, defendants claimed Mr. Varshney committed a serious security violation and fired him. Worse, they blackballed him from future [Missile Defense Agency] work, effectively ending his career and life of service to MDA and the United States government.”
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Varshney immigrated to the United States in 1968 and became an American citizen. He graduated from Banaras Hindu University and earned a masters from Oklahoma State University.
Parsons denies any wrongdoing.
Parsons “denies it engaged in any of the wrongdoing alleged by Plaintiff or that Plaintiff is entitled to any relief whatsoever.”
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