Discrimination allegations: Infy sued by former head of immigration in US

Erin Green, a former head of immigration at Infosys, who was fired from the company last year, has filed a lawsuit against the Bengaluru-based software exporter alleging discrimination against non-South Asian employees.

The lawsuit alleging discrimination by a US citizen against Infosys comes at a time when chief executive Vishal Sikka is pushing for more local hires to counter anti-immigration policies of US President Donald Trump.

Sikka has announced Infosys plan to hire 10,000 local engineers and professionals in the US over the next two years. Green's complaint of discrimination against non-Indians, would hurt the prospects of Infosys to hire more engineers -  for whom there is a talent war in the US, to service customers locally.

Green, who was hired in 2011 and sacked last year has also named - Vasudeva Nayak, head of global immigration and Binod Hampapur, executive vice president and global head of talent and technology in the lawsuit filed on June 19.

Nayak quit the company last year ahead of the US elections citing personal reasons.

"Plaintiff was terminated because of defendant’s obsessional preference for employees of South Asian race and national origin, usually Indian, and as retaliation for reporting Nayak and Hampapur’s discriminatory treatment of himself and others on the basis of race and national origin," said the lawsuit filed in a US district court in the Eastern District of Texas.

Business Standard has reviewed the filings. The Mint newspaper reported first the development on Wednesday.

Green, who was involved in the revamp of the immigration process at Infosys, after the Department of Justice began an inquiry of its visa practices following a lawsuit by another employee Jay Palmer in 2011. This led to  a $ 34 million settlement with the US government in 2013.