Sikh Coalition Secures Judgment in Discrimination

December 18, 2024 (Pennsylvania) — Earlier this year, the Sikh Coalition was proud to secure a judgment from the Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission (PHRC) in favor of our client—a Sikh man who faced discrimination while in a public business—as the result of a years-long legal case.

In 2021, Mr. Singh was at a gun range and shop in Pennsylvania when he was told to remove his dastaar or leave the premises. The shop owners insisted that no one was permitted to wear any kind of headwear (other than baseball caps facing forward) in their gun shop or range, despite Mr. Singh’s calm explanation that he was exercising his religious rights. To avoid removing his dastaar, Mr. Singh was forced to leave the shop and did so peacefully.

The Sikh Coalition and our co-counsel at Hogan Lovells filed a complaint with the PHRC on Mr. Singh’s behalf. After an extensive attempt at mediation over the past few years, the case finally went to trial this May; it was combined with a similar instance of discrimination at the same location where a Muslim woman wearing a hijab was told no accommodations would be made for her article of faith. In November, the PHRC ordered the business owner to stop discriminating against customers with religious headwear and awarded damages to both of the individuals who experienced discrimination.

“This case is important, because it underscores two important facets of our work,” explained Sikh Coalition Staff Attorney Marissa Rossetti. “First, as we have long argued, every individual has the right to go about their business in public with their articles of faith. And second, the kinds of discrimination we combat on behalf of the Sikh community—and thus the legal victories we achieve—so often overlap with the experiences of other marginalized groups.”

The Sikh Coalition continues to pursue casework around hate crimes, workplace discrimination, severe school bullying, and accommodations for articles of faith in all walks of life. You can learn more about the Sikh Coalition’s legal work—including victories like this one—in our 2024 Year-in-Review.

As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.