Video on Legal Program's Work
In the last six years the Sikh Coalition has defended the rights of more individual Sikhs in America than any other organization ever.
View this 12 minute documentary about the challenges of Sikhs in America, and the efforts of the Coalition to help them |
Legal Program
The Sikh Coalition’s Legal Program defends and safeguards religious freedom. We provide essential legal services to victims of hate crimes, employment discrimination, public accommodations discrimination, profiling and other forms of discrimination.
The people we provide service to would likely not have any other access to legal services without the Sikh Coalition. Our legal program remains proud of its work to protect freedom and liberty through the law for everyone. If you believe that you have been discriminated against or subject to bias, and would like to request legal assistance from the Sikh Coalition, please click here.
Program in Action
Employment Discrimination
 Sukhbir Kaur v. National Wholesale Liquidators
New York, New York (June 22, 2007) — The federal Equal Employmet Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit yesterday on behalf of Sukhvir Kaur and other South Asian workers formerly employed by National Wholesale Liquidators. Mrs. Kaur's matter was first brought to the EEOC's attention in July 2005 when the Sikh Coalition filed a charge of discrimination on her behalf with the agency.
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 Harrington, et al. v. Metropolitan Transit Authority
New York, New York (July 18, 2005) - Five Sikh Station Agents bravely filed discrimination charges against the MTA this past Friday. The Sikh workers charge that a post-9/11 policy requiring them to brand their turbans with an MTA logo amounts to religious discrimination.
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School Bullying/Harassment
 Kabir Singh
New York, New York (February 19, 2006) – The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights found "probable cause" that a middle school failed to meet its obligations under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination when it did not take adequate measures to protect a Sikh student from bias-based harassment. The harassment and abuse was so severe that the Sikh student's parents decided to send him back to his native England to finish his schooling.
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Hate Crimes
 Sukhvir Singh
Renton, WA (November 30, 2007) - In a moving show of support, more than 300 Seattle community members gathered at Renton Gurdwara for a candlelight vigil on Wednesday. The gathered crowd prayed for Sukhvir Singh's health and his family's strength at this difficult time. Just a few hours before the vigil began, official hate crime charges had been brought against Sukhvir Singh's attacker, 20-year old Luis Vazquez.
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Ranjit Singh
Oakland, Oregon (October 29, 2007) - A Sikh's turban was torn from his head in a vicious hate assault at a truck stop in Oakland, Oregon. The Sikh Coalition has communicated with both the county Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's office, and has confirmed that the three assailants were arrested and are being charged with hate crimes.
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Air Travel
Transportation Security Administration Civil Rights Complaints
New York, NY (December 21, 2007) - Over the past four months, the Sikh Coalition has filed 32 separate complaints of discrimination with the TSA. A pro bono team of 9 attorneys coordinated by the Sikh Coalition's lead staff attorney are responsible for this major initiative to protect Sikh rights.
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Kirpan
AT&T (Kirpan in Employment)
Brecksville, Ohio (October 24, 2007) - An AT&T office in Brecksville, Ohio has reversed its workplace ban against kirpans. Harcharan Singh (Sandhu), an IT consultant from India will be allowed to continue consulting for AT&T and will not be sent back to India. AT&T reversed its decision one week after the Sikh Coalition's intervention.
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Kawaljeet Kaur v. Internal Revenue Service (Kirpan in Employment)
New York, New York (July 19, 2007) — The Sikh Coalition recently filed an opposition brief in a historic case involving the right of an Internal Revenue Service employee to carry her kirpan to work. To the Coalition's knowledge this is the first time that a Sikh has fought for the right of a federal employee to carry the kirpan to work.
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Baldev Singh (Criminal Kirpan)
(Los Angeles, California) Prosecutors in Los Angeles, California have decided to drop criminal charges against Baldev Singh a Sikh who was issued a criminal citation for carrying his kirpan last month. The charges were dismissed as a result of a collaborative effort between the California Sikh Council and the Sikh Coalition. The Coalition has now successfully defended eighteen Sikhs from criminal prosecution for carrying the kirpan.
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Detention/Prison
Elizabeth Detention Center
Elizabeth, New Jersey (November 2, 2007) - An immigration detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey reversed a ban against turbans last week. Three detained Sikh men were barred from wearing turbans for months. The facility changed its policy three weeks after the Sikh Coalition intervened.
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 Satnam Singh
New York, New York (April 6, 2006 ) - As a result of overwhelming activism by Sikhs and non-Sikhs worldwide, the Florida Department of Corrections will allow Satnam Singh to serve his sentence in Vermont, where he will be able to maintain uncut hair and wear his dastaar.
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