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The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is seeking punitive damages for Sukhdev Singh Brar, a certified security officer in the Dallas area, apart from back pay and compensation for pain and suffering caused to him.
Brar applied for a job at the Champion National Security Firm in Richardson in October 2005. "When I finished applying, she (company representative) called me for an interview, and told me, 'I'm going to hire you, but you have to shave and take off your turban,'" he was quoted as saying by CBS.
Brar says he told the representative what she was saying was against federal law and his religion. "I cannot cut my hair. I cannot take off my turban," he said. "She told me, 'This is our company policy and we cannot change our company policy."
The government wants the court to order the company to change its hiring practices. "Essentially, they're asking, demanding someone give up their deeply held religious beliefs for a job. In that regard, I think it's very egregious," said Bill Backhaus, EEOC. Before the EEOC filed the lawsuit against Champion National Security, it tried to resolve the case. But the government said the company wouldn't budge.
A company attorney said they haven't seen the lawsuit yet. But he says they don't discriminate, and have a good track record of hiring a diverse workforce.
Since the 9/11 terror attacks, the government says there have been more than 1,000 cases involving people from the Mid-East or South Asia, the CBS reported.
What hypocrites, the same Sikhs force non-Sikh students in schools in Punjab to wear turbans!
Sikh funded school are put in place to ensure our forth coming generations are really educated about their religion. Otherwise in a Hindu majority country its easy to lose your roots. Buddhism
Millions of Sikh boys are shaving thier heads
Say fool million of hindus are smoking and eating meat as well, so how u see that....isn't that against ur religion...
BalaThat is by choice and not force. Please note the difference. If a person is doing something, it does not imply that the other also has to do it. There is no herd policy over here.
With all due respect to the Sikhs and the tradition of turban, the company is not being entirely unreasonable in its stance. I think a clean shaven person with normal appearance (meaning dressed in shirt and trouser, with average length hair) comes across as much more pleasing and country/religion-neutral compared to someone with peculiar beards, turbans, skullcaps etc...It is the greatness of US law that makes it seek punitive damages on his behalf.
With all due respect to Amit, he is wrong. The woman was being arrogant or ignorant. If she is ignorant, the company should pay. If she's arrogant (knowing how much it hurts a Sikh), the company must ensure the fine is paid from her pocket. In all probability, the woman was trying to satisfy her anger against Muslim fundamentals thinking the Sardarji to be from Taliban.
Interesting views by a fellow India. I think in Arab you will wear headscarf and circumcise to mix up with locals. Learn how to respect differences rather than picking them. Differences are not a problem but people like you who cannot accept them are! You must be new to US and might have not heard term macaca or brownies commonly used for South Asians. How will you hide your skin colour. A suggestion from my side.. go for a plastic surgery and get a white skin.
I am not in USA :). I am very much in India. and i think it's even safe for Sikhs to remove beard and turban so that they never run the risk of being mistaken for Taliban and thus be verbally abused or attacked. the white people are not particular well-informed about the differences between Afghani style Turban and Sikh style turban and in all honesty, can be forgiven for mistaking one for the other.On another note, even if I get white skin, my very Indian accent would reveal without mistake my distinctly South Asian roots :)
..exactly..any time you face problem..surrender...so if Mogul strikes and take away your wife
And Amit just to sort your issue about your India accent which is a giveaway even if you get a white skin graft, i suggest that you act dumb.. that should come very easy to you rather you don't even have to act .. ;)
Listening to what Amit says make me thinks is he really living in India or some cocoon created by the "yuppy culture" in a metro centre like gurgaon,Bangalore etc. His perception of world is so blinkered and narrow that will put all of India to shame. And also that relects upon the getting "westernised and not modernised" mentality. I have been in UK working with all sorts of ppl from a range of culture and religion and most of the time all are treated well and have the freedom to have their way of living. Amit: either you need to get your head out of sand or bury yourself completely in it :)Anyways you don't have to listen since I am an just Another voice.Saying that I hope you are not a f**king commie supporting Karat and Co. :) given that I will accept your state of mind ...
"another voice" is quite right in his/her guess that i am indeed in a part like gurgaon/noida/bangalore/bombay and i am even a bit amused that my writing evoked energetic responses from my countrymen. not to sound defensive, but i have the greatest respect for the sikhs, i think it's becoz of this community to a great extent that I feel India will be secure in a war-like situation. but when one is in a foregin country, and if indeed the company's policy is that the person should be without beard and should not wear the turban while discharging duty for a particular job, the company is being resonable in its stance. The person seeking employment is free to decline the employment if the condition is not acceptable. USA is founded on democratic values. In Uk, in recent past, there was an incident that a sikh cabbie was verbally abused by some Lord/Earl and he was called a "bloody hindu". I know most of the times people of different cultures are treated well, but it's the stray incidents of hate crime and verbal abuse that make one question whether it is wise to necessary to assert one's difference or meld with the general culture for a peaceful co-existence.And yes, I am not fond of Karat/Bardhan/yechury and their tribe.
Why would he decline the job when they clearly state on their policy that they are equal oportunity employer.. that means not discriminating on the basis of look, religion, apearence etc.. But you are just a hater from down south who hate on punjabi's...dumb a$$ like have no knowledge of the realities of the outside world....
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