Georgia Court Apologizes to Sikh American Denied Entry into Court House Due to his Turban

SALDEF works with local civic officials to resolve issue and organize training for local police and security officials Washington D.C. – March 29, 2007: Earlier this month, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nation’s oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization, received a formal apology from the City of Lawrenceville, Georgia, for wrongfully denying Mr. Jasmeen Singh Nanda entry to the city courthouse. Late last Fall, Mr. Nanda arrived at the Lawrenceville Municipal Court to contest a minor traffic violation he received. After Mr. Nanda successfully passed through the security screening, two Lawrenceville police officers informed Mr. Nanda that, “[w]hatever you have on your head, you need to remove it immediately.” Mr. Nanda explained that he was not wearing a hat, but rather a religious head covering called a turban. After trying to explain the significance of the Sikh turban, Mr. Nanda was accosted (assaulted) by one of the officers who disrespectfully touched and squeezed his turban several times while asking him, “[w]hat is that on top of your head?” Mr. Nanda was threatened with arrest and told that he would, “need to show me your hair before you enter the court room or get out of here and get out of my face and stop wasting our time.” Mr. Nanda at this point left the court house and immediately informed SALDEF of the incident. SALDEF asked the City of Lawrenceville to revise its current court room policy relating to religious garb and to allow SALDEF to conduct a cultural awareness presentation for the court personnel. SALDEF presented a model security screening procedure and protocol that is respectful of not only the Sikh turban, but an individual wearing a religious head covering. Subsequent to the communication and discussion with SALDEF on court room policy relating to religious garb currently being implemented in Lawrenceville, city officials agreed to formally change their policy and to have SALDEF conduct a cultural awareness presentation for the officers and court room personnel in the Spring. The formal change in policy states, “[I]f the headwear is donned in observance of a religious tenet, the Court Services officers will not ask the person to remove the headwear.” SALDEF thanks Lawrenceville City Attorney, Anthony Powell and Police Chief Randy Johnson for their desire to resolve this issue amicably with a formal change of policy and increased awareness of the Sikh American community, a growing population in the Southern United States. SALDEF would also like to acknowledge the courage of Jasmeen Singh Nanda for seeking to protect his First Amendment rights. Read about SALDEF’s similar efforts to protect against violations of Sikhs Americans First Amendment Rights:

Sikh American Community Encouraged to Contact Local Legislators to Support Important Bill Washington D.C. – March 21, 2007:  The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nation’s oldest Sikh American civil rights advocacy organization, today applauds Congress for taking the first step in passing a new piece of legislation aimed at protecting the nation’s communities from hate violence. Late yesterday, U.S. House of Representative Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), introduced H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crime’s Prevention Act of 2007. The legislation, which has enjoyed bipartisan support from this Congress, and has 137 co-sponsors already, will provide assistance to state and local law enforcement agencies and amend federal law to facilitate with the investigation and prosecution of violent, bias-motivated crimes. “By introducing this legislation, the House has sent a clear message that hate crimes will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said SALDEF Managing Director Kavneet Singh. “Even before the flurry of post-9/11 hate crimes affecting the Sikh American and other communities, we were working with a broad coalition to pass this legislation. We applaud the House for introducing this important piece of legislation.” Bias crimes are increasingly a cause for concern specifically within the Sikh American community. The FBI Hate Crime Report, although voluntary, has documented over 115,000 hate crimes since 1991. In 2005, 7,183 hate crimes were reported, of which, 17.1 percent were perpetrated against individuals of faith and 14.2 percent against ethnic minorities. The legislation has a broad range of support of over 200 civil rights, advocacy and law enforcement organizations including: Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Anti-Defamation League, Human Rights Campaign, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, among many others. For more information about our work, visit www.saldef.org or contact us at 202-393-2700 or info@saldef.org

(CBS13) YUBA CITY, Calif. If you want to be a police cadet you must shave your beard. That’s what one Sikh man was told in Yuba City. “They said the beard would not be allowed, no ifs and or buts,” said Uppal. A lesson in religious tolerance is playing out in Yuba city after 19-year-old Harvir Singh Uppal was initially told he would have to shave his beard if he wanted to be a police department cadet. “I was not given any reason and that was my last contact with the YCPD,” said Uppal. The Yuba City area is home to a growing Sikh community — and the controversy quickly spread because wearing a turban and beard is required religious clothing. After a civil rights organization in Washington D.C. heard about the case, they sent this letter to the police chief demanding he change his position. “If anything it’s all just a misunderstanding,” said Richard Doscher, YCPD police chief. Doscher says it was an officer, the director of the cadet program, who made the comment and it’s not department policy. The chief has since apologized to the organization and Uppal. At this point Uppal says he’s now too busy being a full-time student to re-apply with the department. But he has not ruled out a career in law enforcement. The civil rights organization is now applauding the chief’s commitment to the Sikh community and hopes other law enforcement agencies follow suite. (© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) [http://cbs13.com/topstories/local_story_068013917.html] CBS13 Sacramento

By Rob Young/Appeal-Democrat

A 19-year-old Sikh man was told he would have to shave off his beard to qualify for the Yuba City Police Department’s cadet program, a national Sikh rights group said Wednesday. Police Chief Richard Doscher differed somewhat with the version of events as put forth by the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, or SALDEF. Nothing in department rules disqualifies a Sikh with a beard and turban – and even with a ceremonial kirpan, or dagger – from becoming an officer, as long as the kirpan is worn under the uniform, said Doscher. A turban the same color as the uniform would be acceptable, the police chief said. SALDEF said the applicant, Harvir Singh Uppal, was told by Officer Kim Slade, director of the cadet program, that “though the turban was acceptable, the beard does not conform to the uniform standards of the Police Department and it would have to be shaved off.” Doscher said SALDEF’s complaint arose from a misunderstanding between Uppal and Slade. He said it was unclear if Uppal was even wearing a beard at the time. Uppal, a Yuba College student, told the Appeal-Democrat late Wednesday that he had a full beard and wore a turban during an interview last fall at the Police Department. According to Doscher, Slade asked Uppal if he intended to wear a beard. Uppal then asked if the beard would disqualify him from the program but did not respond to letters and phone calls inquiring whether he was still interested in being a cadet, said Doscher. Uppal said Slade told him by phone about a week after the interview that the beard was unacceptable. Uppal did not give a religious reason during the interview for having a beard. The subject of Uppal’s Sikh religion did not come up, Doscher said. SALDEF said that, after Doscher and Mayor John Miller were informed of “the discriminatory nature of this policy,” Doscher wrote a letter of apology to SALDEF and reaffirmed the department’s policy of religious diversity. In the Jan. 23 letter, Doscher wrote that Slade “did say he asked Mr. Uppal if removal of his beard would be objectionable (not being fully versed in the significance). No rejection letter was ever sent to Mr. Uppal.” “Please accept this as an unintentional oversight be one of my staff officers, which I take responsibility for. I can assure you that as of this writing there is no misunderstanding any longer,” Doscher wrote. Doscher asked SALDEF to have Uppal recontact the department. Although SALDEF said Uppal was denied employment, the cadet program is made up strictly of unpaid volunteers age 15 and over who are exploring law enforcement careers, said Doscher. Uppal, a full-time student and Home Depot employee, said he was “honored that they’re welcoming me” but is undecided about reapplying. He said he hopes the controversy results in other law enforcement agencies hiring Sikhs who wear beards and turbans. In the post-9/11 world, Sikhs with beards and turbans are still viewed erroneously as terrorists, he said. Uppal said he initially contacted SALDEF, but he now thinks “it was a misunderstanding and that it was blown out of proportion. If I’d spoken with the chief, it wouldn’t have gone this far.” “I don’t blame Slade,” said Uppal. “At least they’re trying to resolve things.” Appeal-Democrat reporter Rob Young can be reached at 749-4710. You may e-mail him at ryoung@appeal-democrat.com. Appeal-Democrat

SALDEF works with city officials to defend the rights of the Sikh American student Washington D.C. – March 7, 2007: The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nation’s oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization, received a formal letter of apology from Yuba City Police Chief Robert Doscher for denying employment to Mr. Harvir Singh Uppal as he sought to become a police cadet. Mr. Uppal, a 19 year old student and adherent of the Sikh faith, was interviewed by Officer Kim Slade, Director of the Yuba City Police Department Cadet Program, for a position as a cadet. A week later, Mr. Uppal contacted Officer Slade to check the status of his application at which time he was informed upon conferring with the Chief of Police and the City Attorney that, “though the turban was acceptable, the beard does not conform to the uniform standards of the police department and it would have to be shaved off”. SALDEF contacted Yuba City Police Chief Doscher and Mayor John Miller informing them of the discriminatory nature of this policy and recommended the necessary steps to remedy the situation quickly and to the satisfaction of Mr. Uppal. In a letter of apology to SALDEF, Chief Doscher noted, “We [Yuba City Police Department] have no policy which precludes an employee of the Sikh faith from wearing a turban or beard (or possession of a kirpan) during their employment with us.” He added, “Please accept this as an unintentional oversight by one of my staff officers, which I take responsibility for.  I can assure you that as of this writing, there is no misunderstanding any longer.” SALDEF thanks Yuba City Police Chief Robert Doscher for his immediate attention to this matter and reaffirming his department’s policy of encouraging religious diversity. SALDEF urges police departments across the nation to follow Chief Doscher’s example of welcoming individuals of faith to serve their communities without having to compromise their religious practices. Additionally, SALDEF commends the courage of Mr. Harvir Singh Uppal for asserting his rights as an American citizen. . If you, or anyone you know, believe they have been the victim of workplace or employment discrimination, please report it on our website or contact SALDEF immediately at 202-393-2700 or info@saldef.org.