Meet the US Attorney and Know Your Rights Forum in Atlanta, GA

US Attorney Outreach – Friday, August 12, 8-9pm, SEWA Gurdwara, Roswell

Sally Yates, US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, will be attending the SEWA Gurdwara located at 10590 Woodstock Road, Roswell, GA 30075 on Friday, August 12.  She will be meeting local community members to learn about issues affecting the community. She will also address the Sangat at the end of diwaan.

Know Your Rights Forum – Sunday, August 14, 1-4pm Sikh Study Circle

We are pleased to announce a Know Your Rights (KYR) Forum for the Sikh American community of Atlanta, GA in cooperation with the Sikh Study Circle of Atlanta, 1821 South Hairston Road, Stone Mountain, GA 30088 on Sunday, August 14, 2011 from 1-4pm.

The forum will give Sangat members an opportunity to become informed about their rights and connect with local and federal officials who can offer resources and assistance in the context of Employment Discrimination, Hate Crimes, Airport Screening, Government Issued Photographs, and School Bullying. SALDEF will be joined by representatives from the following government agencies:

Terrie Dandy
EEOC Outreach Program Coordinator
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission

Suzanne Buchanan
Conciliation Specialist
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Community Relations Service (CRS)

Major Lane Hagin
Atlanta Police Department

Garry McGiboney
Associate Superintendent
Georgia Department of Education

We urge you to join us and discuss your rights as Sikh Americans and to learn how to respond to discriminatory issues that may be happening in your life.

Know Your Rights Forum – Sunday, August 14, 1-4pm Sikh Study Circle

We are pleased to announce a Know Your Rights (KYR) Forum for the Sikh American community of Atlanta, GA in cooperation with the Sikh Study Circle of Atlanta, 1821 South Hairston Road, Stone Mountain, GA 30088 on Sunday, August 14, 2011 from 1-4pm.

The forum will give Sangat members an opportunity to become informed about their rights and connect with local and federal officials who can offer resources and assistance in the context of Employment Discrimination, Hate Crimes, Airport Screening, Government Issued Photographs, and School Bullying. SALDEF will be joined by representatives from the following government agencies:

Terrie Dandy
EEOC Outreach Program Coordinator
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission

Suzanne Buchanan
Conciliation Specialist
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Community Relations Service (CRS)

Major Lane Hagin
Atlanta Police Department

Garry McGiboney
Associate Superintendent
Georgia Department of Educatio

On June 26, SALDEF conducted a Know Your Rights forum for the Sikh American community of Fresno, CA. The forum, attended by over 150 community members, allowed the sangat to engage with and voice their concerns to representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The purpose of SALDEF’s Know Your Rights forums is to (1) educate community members about their rights related to bias or harassment in the workplace, schools, and with law enforcement (2) introduce community members to agencies and groups that can address complaints, incidents, or issues. Given the recent hate crimes against Sikh Americans in California (see links below), members of the Fresno community expressed concern about racially motivated violence to FBI Supervisory Special Agent, Harriet Dugal. “The FBI wants the Sikh American community to know that these crimes are not tolerated and investigations are underway,” stated Agent Dugal. READ MORE: Attack of Sikh American Cab Driver in Sacramento READ MORE: Two Elderly Sikh American Men Shot in Elk Grove Melissa Barrios, Director of the EEOC Fresno office, spoke about the various types of workplace discrimination that can occur to ensure the community is vigilant about recognizing and reporting such incidents. “One of the most important things that can happen when workplace related discrimination occurs is reporting the incident or situation.  The EEOC protects individuals against employer retaliation and can guarantee anonymity,” stated Ms. Barrios. Both representatives also discussed employment opportunities and career development paths at their respective agencies, encouraging all eligible applicants to apply. SALDEF would like to thank the agencies and representatives, Fresno sangat members, and the management of Gurdwara Nanak Prakash for making this event successful. The next Know Your Rights forum in Fresno, CA will include representatives from the Fresno Police Department and the Fresno County School Board to address issues of investigations and school related bullying issues. Read about recently held Know Your Rights forums in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. If you would like SALDEF to conduct a Know Your Rights forum in your community, please contact us.

Earlier today we wrapped up a fantastic forum hosted with the Sikh American community in Las Vegas, NV.  Thanks to the hospitality of the management at Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh and the agency representatives, the forum was a great success!  The sangat (congregation) had an opportunity to interact with government officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Members of the community expressed concerns around racially motivated threats within the local Las Vegas community and had a chance todiscuss the issue directly with FBI officials.  “The Sikh American community is every bit a part of the larger Las Vegas community, and we would love to continue to engage with community members and leaders to ensure safety and quality of life,” commented Holly James, the Community Outreach Specialist with the FBI-Las Vegas Division.  Special Agent Jeffrey Williams presented on behalf of the Cyber Crimes Squad, discussing Internet related threats including Identity Theft, social media, and bank fraud.  Having a community that is focused on the development of our Sikh youth, the focus on social media gave the parents in the congregation a chance to really hear and understand the outside threats that families and students are exposed to on a daily basis and how to protect themselves. The sangat also got a chance to hear from Kenneth Mead, a Detective with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department on the issue of Hate Crimes.  Detective Mead has been part of the Las Vegas law enforcement community for quite sometime, with experience within the Sikh American community via collaboration with SALDEF on various outreach efforts.  He took the opportunity to discuss what the process is for investigating hate crimes, how they are declared as such, and how to report any incidents that happen to Sikh Americans. Lucy Orta, Local Director of the Las Vegas Office with the EEOC took some time to discuss various types of workplace related discrimination issues, as well as the process in which to report these problems.  It was a great opportunity for community members to connect with her regarding issues they have faced while in the work place or applying for work.  The EEOC and SALDEF have a collaborative relationship that allows Sikh American community members to report issues either directly to SALDEF that will reach the EEOC immediately. We encourage members to report any issues they have in the workplace to SALDEF via info@saldef.org. All of the agencies representatives also took some time to discuss employment opportunities and career development paths with the community members present, encouraging all eligible applicants to apply.  If you interested in any of the opportunities discussed, please email info@saldef.org. On behalf of SALDEF, we would like to thank the government agencies that took time our of their Sunday to come and speak with community members in Las Vegas, as well as the Las Vegas sangat members that made the time to engage with the guest speakers during the program at Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh. If you would like a SALDEF volunteer or staff member to conduct Know Your Rights Forum for your local sangat, please contact SALDEF by email at info@saldef.org.

The Know Your Rights program creates an open forum encouraging all Sikh Americans to understand their rights.

As a part of SALDEF”s ongoing effort to empower the community and strengthen partnerships with government, we are pleased to announce a Know Your Rights (KYR) Forum for the Sikh American community of Las Vegas and Clark County, NV in cooperation with the Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh on Sunday, March 20th from 2-4pm.

The following government agencies and representatives will provide community members with important information about employment discrimination, hate crimes, and government resources. Additionally, this will be an opportunity to network with government recruiters and discuss employment opportunities.

Lucy Orta
Director
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Superintendent Dwight Jones (Invited)
Superintendent
Clark County School District
Nevada Department of Education

Holly James
Community Outreach Specialist
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)


Kenneth Mead
Detective
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

Since 2002, SALDEF has organized numerous educational workshops for Sikh American communities in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

SALDEF would like to thank the management of the Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh and the leaders of the local Sikh American community, as well as the participating government agencies for their support.

For additional information about this event or if you would like to organize a Know Your Rights Forum for your community, please contact Birpal Kaur by email at info@saldef.org or via phone at 213.985.1116.

Please distribute this widely to family, friends and at the local Gurdwara.

The Know Your Rights program creates an open forum encouraging all Sikh Americans to understand their rights.

As a part of SALDEF’s ongoing effort to empower the community and strengthen partnerships with government, we are pleased to announce a Know Your Rights (KYR) Forum for the Sikh American community of Los Angeles County in cooperation with the Khalsa Care Foundation on Sunday, November 14th.

The following government agencies and representatives will provide community members with important information about employment discrimination, hate crimes, and government resources. Additionally, this will be an opportunity to network with government recruiters and discuss employment opportunities.

Since 2002, SALDEF has organized numerous educational workshops for Sikh American communities in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. SALDEF would like to thank the management of the Khalsa Care Foundation Gurdwara and the leaders of the local Sikh American community, as well as the participating government agencies for their support. For additional information about this event or if you would like to organize a Know Your Rights Forum for your community, please contact Birpal Kaur by email at info@saldef.org or via phone at 213.985.1116. Please distribute this widely to family, friends and at the local Gurdwara.

Forum designed to create proactive dialogue between government officials and Sikh American community Washington, DC, November 19, 2008 – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) and the Sikh Society of Florida together have organized a Know Your Rights Forum for the Sikh American community of South Florida on Sunday, November 23, 2008. The following agencies will provide community members with critical information about combating employment discrimination, hate crimes, and school bullying: Nitza Wright – Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Mildred Duprey de Robles – U.S. Department of Justice; Marcos Regalado – Miami-Dade County Equal Opportunity Board; and, Randall Mullings – Broward County Public Schools. An invitation was extended to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to discuss the recruitment of Sikh Americans into the local police force. DATE: Sunday, November 23, 2008 TIME: 1:30 p – 2:30 p LOCATION: Sikh Society of Florida (16000 SW 60th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33331) The Sikh American community must continue to build bridges of understanding with government agencies to ensure that we educate ourselves about our rights, educate our public servants about the Sikh religion, and bring Sikh Americans into the mainstream. This forum falls just one week after a highly successful event held in Indiana, where Sikh Americans have felt especially vulnerable to employment discrimination.
 
For the past three years, SALDEF has organized over a dozen KYR Forums throughout the United States, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, California, and Indiana. SALDEF urges all members of the Sikh American community to encourage their local sangat to host a SALDEF Know Rights Forum to make sure they understand their rights and build relationships with government leaders in their area. 
 
SALDEF would like to thank the management and community leaders of the Sikh Society of Florida, as well as the participating government agencies, for supporting and sponsoring this event.  
 
For additional information about this event, please contact Rajdeep Singh Jolly at legal@saldef.org or via phone at (202) 393-2700 Ext 131. PLEASE distribute this to your family, friends and at the local Gurdwara.

SALDEF, SABA-DC and NASABA organize forum to inform business owners about their rights and obligations under DC, Virginia, Maryland and federal law Washington D.C. – April 13, 2007:  The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) has partnered with the South Asian Bar Association of Washington D.C. (SABA-DC) and the National South Asian Bar Association (NASABA) to organize a Know Your Rights Outreach and Compliance Seminar for Convenience Store and Gas Station Owners in the Virginia, Maryland, and Metro DC areas on April 22, 2007 at the National Gurdwara in Washington, D.C. Federal and State authorities have begun to strictly regulate the sale of everyday cold medications that can be used to manufacture the illegal and highly dangerous drug methamphetamine (also known as “Meth”). In 2005, 44 South Asian convenience store clerks and owners were arrested for selling ingredients that could have been used to create methamphetamine, but many of these people were unaware of the law and their rights. As a result, some of the storeowners lost their businesses and were deported back to India and Pakistan. Due to the increased use of cold medicines purchased at retail outlets by illegal methamphetamine manufacturers and drug addicts, Congress enacted the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005. This law establishes requirements for selling products containing ephedrine and pseudo ephedrine, which can be used for illegal production of methamphetamine. Across the nation, sellers of products containing these ingredients must follow the new law and the regulations it imposes on them. In addition, some states have enacted their own laws which in some instances may be tougher than the federal law. What: Know Your Rights Forum: Outreach and Compliance Seminar for Convenience and Gas Store Owners in            the VA, MD, and DC areas When: Sunday, April 22nd — 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Where: National Gurdwara 3801 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20016 Who: Hassan Ahmed, Immigration Attorney; Law Offices of Nubani & Hassan, VA Manubir Arora, Criminal Defense Attorney; Atlanta, GA Vivek Chopra, Former State Prosecutor; Montgomery County, MD Dave Vatti, Federal Prosecutor; United States Attorney’s Office, CT SALDEF, SABA-DC and NASABA would like to ensure that local business owners are aware of their rights and obligations under District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, and federal law. For more information about this event, visit www.saldef.org or contact AS202-393-2700 or info@saldef.org

Sikh Community from Greater Chicago Area urged to attend event featuring officials from federal, state and local agencies Washington, DC, September 27, 2006 – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), in conjunction with the Sikh Religious Society of Chicago, has invited several government officials to participate in a community forum this Sunday, October 1, 2006.  Members of the Sikh American community from the Greater Chicago area are encouraged to attend this event with their children so that they may be better informed about their civil rights, and be armed with the crucial knowledge on appropriate responses and actions to take to protect and exercise their constitutional rights. The following representatives will be attending the forum: Officer Matt Taylor – Palatine, IL Police Department Lisa Williams – Illinois Attorney General’s Office; Civil Rights Division Robert Blackwood – United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Pablo Medina – Chicago Commission on Human Relations Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) DATE: 10/01/2006 TIME:11:00 AM – 1:00 PM LOCATION: Sikh Religious Society of Chicago 1280 W Winnekta Street Palatine, IL 60067 These forums provide a unique opportunity for Sikh Americans to learn how to correctly respond to all forms of discrimination, hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents and about protecting their families and our community from these incidents. The focus of these forums is to bring to the sangat the individuals who are responsible for litigating egregious cases of religious and national origin discrimination and dealing with issues of bias-motivated crimes, for a meaningful face-to-face interaction. In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the founding of SALDEF/SMART, SALDEF has been organizing similar events across the country.  SALDEF encourages all residents of the Greater Chicago area to attend. We thank the management and community members of the Sikh Religious Society of Chicago for supporting and sponsoring this event.

Sikh Community from New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey encouraged to attend. Washington, DC– The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), in conjunction with the Bridgewater Gurdwara Sahib, the Gurdwara Singh Sabha of Glen Rock, the Gurdwara Sri Dashmesh Darbar Sahib of Port Reading, and the Sri Guru Singh Sabha of Carteret, has invited several government officials to participate in a community forum this Saturday, June 15, 2006.  Members of the Sikh American community from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania are encouraged to attend this event with their children so that they may be informed about their civil rights. The following representatives will be attending the forum: Edward McCaffrey – Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) David Livingston– Somerset County Superintendent; New Jersey Department of Education Phillip Freeman – Office of the New Jersey Attorney General; Division of Civil Rights Mr. Leslie Wiser, Jr. – Special Agent-In-Charge; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Invitations have also been extended to representatives from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Raritan Police Department. DATE: 6/15/2006 TIME: 2:00 – 4:00 PM LOCATION: The “Atrium,” Raritan Valley Community College Route 28 and Lamington Road North Branch, NJ 07047 These forums provide a unique opportunity for Sikh community members to learn about their rights and about protecting their families and our community from hate crimes and harassment. The focus of these forums is to bring to the sangat the individuals who are responsible for litigating egregious cases of religious and national origin discrimination for a meaningful face-to-face interaction. In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the founding of SALDEF/SMART, SALDEF will be organizing similar events across the country.  SALDEF encourages all residents of the Tri-State area to attend. We thank the management and community members of the Bridgewater Gurdwara Sahib, the Gurdwara Singh Sabha, the Gurdwara Sri Dashmesh Darbar Sahib, and the Sri Guru Singh Sabha for supporting and sponsoring this event.

For Immediate Release: March 31, 2006 Tri-State residents encouraged to attend event featuring officials from federal, state and local agencies Washington D.C. – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) and the management of the Tri-State Sikh Cultural Society have invited several federal, state and local officials to participate in a community forum for the Sikh community in the greater tri-state area. The Sikh American community is encouraged to attend this event with their children so that they may be informed about their rights when encountering different federal and state agencies. Confirmed participants include representatives from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Monroeville police Department and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Invitations have also been extended to the United States Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian American Affairs. The purpose of this event is to aid Sikh Americans in learning how to correctly respond to all forms of discrimination, hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents and bullying and harassment of school children. This forum will provide Sikh Americans with the crucial knowledge on appropriate responses and actions to take to protect and exercise their constitutional rights. SALDEF encourages all residents of the greater Tri-state area to attend. We thank the management and community members of the Tri-State Sikh Cultural Society for supporting and co-sponsoring this event. When: Saturday, April 8, 2006 Time: 3 pm – 5 pm Where: Tri-State Cultural Society Bedford 4407 McKenzie Drive Monroeville, PA 15146 For more information about this forum please go click here.