Bullying Case Resolved

October 17, 2024 (California) — As students, educators, and advocates observe National Bullying Prevention Month, the Sikh Coalition is pleased to share about our recent success in helping a young Sikh student in California who was being bullied in school. Though details for this case are anonymized to protect this individual from any possible retribution, we wanted to share more about the resolution—including how securing a safety plan and the implementation of training, rather than legal action, proved key.

Since this young Singh began pre-school, he experienced various forms of bias-based bullying. The bullying against him, however, escalated severely when he entered high school within the same school district. Physical assaults often left Singh with a bloody nose and cut mouth, not to mention the emotional and psychological impact of repeated attacks. The scope of bullying he endured included comments about his Sikhi and ethnicity, having objects thrown at him, and even death threats.

Due to the growing severity of the bullying and the lack of a direct plan to address the bullying from Singh’s school, he and his father sought legal assistance from the Sikh Coalition. Our attorneys sent a letter laying out the evidence for each bullying incident and arguing that federal and state law—as well as the school district’s own student and family handbook—obligated them to take action to stop bias-based bullying immediately.

Shortly after the letter was sent, the principal reached out to the Sikh Coalition and a family for a meeting—not with hostility or indifference, but compassion. This young Singh now has a school safety plan in place, and the Sikh Coalition team is working with the school district on bullying prevention training for both teachers and students to happen later this fall.

Even though this case started with our legal team sending a letter, it shows that there are many steps through advocacy and education that can be taken before the need for legal mediation or a disruptive lawsuit. As a reminder, these steps are laid out in our Step-by-Step Guide to Bullying for Sikh Parents. If you or someone you know is also facing bullying in school, reach out to our team for help; don’t forget to also take advantage of National Bullying Prevention Month to take easy advocacy action at both the federal and state levels towards making schools safer for all children.

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