SMART, Fleet Bank Reach Historic Agreement to Provide Improved Services to Sikh American Community, Reaffirms Commitment to Diversity and to Accommodate Sikh Religious Practices Washington, DC — A leading national Sikh advocacy group and the nation’s seventh largest retail financial institution, reached a broad-reaching agreement in which Fleet reaffirmed its commitment to diversity, including its existing policy of accomodating Sikh religious practices, and providing improved services to the Sikh community. Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force and FleetBoston Financial Corp., signed the joint agreement as part of a discrimination lawsuit settlement filed by a Sikh American customer. SMART, Inderjeet Singh Chowdhary, and Fleet Bank have been in negotiations since May last year, when Chowdhary, a Carteret, N.J., businessman filed a lawsuit against Fleet after being denied a CD account. Fleet Bank’s settlement of Chowdhary’s discrimination claim coincided with an agreement with SMART. Highlights of the agreement: • Fleet agrees to educate key employees about Sikh Americans. • Fleet pledges to promptly investigate discrimination allegations by its customers or employees. • Fleet commits to educate all its employees on the importance of diversity and its anti-discrimination policies. • Fleet agrees to develop personal, business and financial solutions tailored to address needs of the New Jersey Sikh community. • Fleet agrees to continue work with SMART to identify recipients of appropriate event sponsorship and funding programs designed to assist Sikh American charitable and community development organizations. The two parties will explore possible assistance to non-profit Sikh American charitable organizations with funding from the bank. • Fleet agrees to work cooperatively with SMART in the future to assist in the pre-litigation resolution of any religious discrimination claims made by any Sikh employee or customer against Fleet. SMART will provide Fleet with informational material about the Sikh faith, Sikh Americans and their religious practices to be incorporated in Fleet’s employee diversity training program. The Washington, DC–based advocacy group will also provide training and education to Fleet employees. Plans are underway for a presentation to Fleet’s New Jersey branch and district managers aimed at informing them about the Sikh community. “SMART is satisfied that Fleet has agreed to take these affirmative steps in addressing the Sikh American community’s concerns. We appreciate Fleet’s resolute effort during the negotiations.” said SMART’s Executive Director, Navtej S. Khalsa. “With this historic agreement as a blueprint SMART plans to enter into similar agreements with other corporations.”
