Written by Don Byrd
A Sikh employee of the Transportation Safety Administration has won a religious discrimination lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, after he was refused the right to wear a Kara (a bracelet worn by many observant Sikhs) at work.
Religion News Service has more:
“Whenever you raise your hand, it’s supposed to be there,” said [the plaintiff, Kulwinder] Singh, who has worked as a TSA agent at John F. Kennedy International Airport for more than five years. Nearly two years ago, he was told by a supervisor to remove the kara, or hide it.
The kara, a steel or iron band which also represents the eternal nature of the divine, is supposed to remind the wearer to behave righteously and to protect others. “By keeping it concealed, it defeats that purpose,” said Hansdeep Singh, an attorney who represented Kulwinder Singh.
In a settlement, the Department of Homeland Security agreed to pay $30,000 in damages.
