New York, New York (November 20, 2007) – The Sikh Coalition is pleased to announce a significant expansion of its staff this year. With a full-time staff of five, the Sikh Coalition is now the most staffed Sikh organization in the history of the United States.
We are happy to report the addition of Harsimran Kaur, who joined us in February as our full-time Staff Attorney. Simran held a judicial clerkship and worked as a litigator for a well-respected employment discrimination law firm before coming to the Coalition. Since joining us, Simran most notably persuaded AT&T to allow a Sikh to carry his kirpan at work. She also collaborated with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to file a discrimination lawsuit against a national retailer that discriminated against several Sikh employees. At present, Simran is juggling over 25 cases involving discrimination against Sikhs and has filed almost 30 civil rights complaints against the Transportation Security Administration in the last two months.
In May, Neha Singh joined us as our full-time Advocacy Director. By June she had drafted the Sikh community’s first full-fledged civil rights research report: “Hatred in the Hallways: A Preliminary Report on Bias Against Sikh Students in New York City’s Public Schools.” In September, Neha also authored the Coalition’s first op-ed in the New York Times on the issue of bias in city schools. This past month, she oversaw the production of the anti-bullying website – www.KhalsaKids.org. The website has been viewed by over 8,000 individuals in the first month since its launch on October
Finally, Paul Russell joined the Coalition in August, filling the role of Development Associate, as part of the AmeriCorps program. This program provides activists with the means to engage in social services and public interest work. His job is to assist the Coalition with developing its capacity to increase operational support. During August and September, Paul played a key role in expanding our ability to manage and organize the Coalition’s volunteers through online tools.
The Coalition is excited by these additions to its staff. With your continued support, we look forward to further expanding our work to defend the Sikh way of life.
The Coalition calls on all Sikhs to stand up for their civil rights and fearlessly maintain their articles of faith.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
Raising the Bar for the Sikh Community’s Well-Being
Did You Know?
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With a staff of five full-time employees the Sikh Coalition is the most staffed Sikh organizationin the history of the United States.
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The Sikh Coalition is the first Sikh organization to have successfully defended over 20 Sikhs from criminal prosecutionfor carrying the kirpan.
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The Sikh Coalition is the only Sikh organization that employs attorneys full-time. The Coalition currently has three attorneys on staff.
- The Sikh Coalition assisted the first Sikh to file a civil lawsuit for damages against his hate attackers.
- The Sikh Coalition launched the first national campaign to encourage Sikhs to place books on Sikhs and Sikh practices in every library in the United States.
- The Sikh Coalition is the first Sikh organization to qualify for and receive anAmericorps VISTA volunteer from the federal government.
- The Sikh Coalition published the first research report of civil rights issues affecting Sikhs in the United States.
- The Sikh Coalition successfully encouraged the first Sikhs to successfully run for political office in New York City on a non-partisan basis.
- The Sikh Coalition launched the first website for Sikh children on bullying and harassment issues in school.
- The Sikh Coalition led thefirst successful legal battle to allow Sikhs to serve as police officers in the United States while wearing their Dastaars.
- The Sikh Coalition is thefirst organization to broadly place video on the Sikh community’s civil rights concerns online.
- The Sikh Coalition publishes its annual federal tax return for public inspection on its website and has its books audited every year by an independent auditor.