In July 2005, the Sikh Coalition filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of Sukhbir Kaur. Mrs. Kaur, an employee at National Wholesale Liquidators, was subjected to harassment by her employer due to her gender, religion, and national origin. In 2004, a manager told her to remove her turban because she would appear “sexier” without it. When she refused the manager’s advances, he told her she would not be allowed to use the bathroom and would have to wear a diaper to work.
When Mrs. Kaur complained about the harassment, she was fired.
An EEOC investigation found that South Asian workers at National Wholesale Liquidators were constantly taunted about their religion and national origin. They were told that “Indians are nasty,” that “Sikhs are thieves,” and that managers were “tired of seeing old Indian faces all the time.”
Impact
After being sued by the EEOC and the Sikh Coalition in 2007, National Wholesale Liquidators settled the lawsuit the following year. The company agreed to pay $255,000 in damages to nine harassment victims, including Mrs. Kaur. In addition, the company was required to adopt an EEOC-approved anti-discrimination policy and complaint procedure; circulate posters about discrimination to remind its personnel about its legal obligations; and implement anti-discrimination training.
Why It Matters
Although federal law prohibits discrimination and sexual harassment, and requires employers to make reasonable accommodations of their employees’ religious practices, companies sometimes ignore or intentionally violate these rules. Sukhvir Kaur courageously proved that speaking out against injustice and standing up for civil rights can lead to companies being held accountable.