• Intel is sued by Jewish fired employee, who claimed that he was fired for objecting to his ex-supervisor’s alleged antisemitism.
  • Doe is seeking compensation for lost wages and unspecified damages for violations of federal civil rights laws and human rights laws of New York state and city.

OUR TAKE
A Jewish ex-employee, who has chosen to remain anonymous for safety reasons, has initiated a lawsuit against the company. The crux of the complaint lies in the alleged antisemitism exhibited by a former supervisor, which the ex-employee claims led to his termination. The case, which has been filed in the Manhattan federal court, raises discussions about the corporate culture and policies of a leading technology firm.
–Elodie Qian, BTW reporter

What happened

A former Jewish employee at Intel has filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that he was dismissed following his complaints about the senior executive he reported to, who was accused of openly celebrating anti-Semitism, Hamas, and terrorism against Israel.

The plaintiff, identified under the pseudonym John Doe and a former vice president of engineering, claims that Intel terminated his employment on April 2, citing cost-cutting measures, shortly after he was assigned to report to Alaa Badr, the vice president of customer success.

Intel has not commented on the lawsuit filed in the Manhattan federal court, maintaining its policy of not discussing ongoing litigation. The company, however, stated, “We have a longstanding culture of diversity and inclusion and do not condone hate speech.”

Doe, a former soldier of the Israel defense forces, expressed his discomfort in working under Badr, citing the Egyptian’s retweets and ‘likes’ of anti-Israel posts online, including those that celebrated the deaths of Israelis and IDF soldiers.

The plaintiff also alleges that Badr inquired about the nationality of other Intel employees and complained about the number of Israeli employees in the company. Doe claims that his replacement has also openly expressed anti-Israel sentiments.

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Why it’s important

Badr and his supervisor are named as co-defendants in the lawsuit. John Doe’s lawyer, Doug Wigdor, stated, “It is inexcusable for Intel to condone this type of behavior and to retaliate against a former IDF soldier for voicing concerns about deeply disturbing content posted by his superior on social media. This must be addressed.”

Doe is seeking compensation for lost wages and unspecified damages for violations of federal civil rights laws and human rights laws of New York state and city. He has requested the court’s permission to proceed anonymously, citing the risk of harassment, threats, and physical violence due to the lawsuit and his service in the IDF.

Upon joining Intel in New York City, Doe was part of the company following its acquisition of the Israeli startup where he was previously employed. The identity of the startup has not been disclosed by his legal team.

The lawsuit also highlights Intel’s business ties with Israel and notes that the company’s first hire was Andrew Grove, a Hungarian-born Jew who became the CEO and was recognized as Time magazine’s Man of the Year.

The case is registered as Doe v Intel Corp et al, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, under case number 24-06117.