On June 2, 2009, a high school student of the Sikh faith filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York under the Civil Rights Act (42 U.S.C § 1983). The action was brought against the city of New York and the New York Department of Education. The Plaintiff was represented by The Sikh Coalition. Little information can be found on this case due to the August 21, 2009 order granted by the District Court (Magistrate Viktor V. Pohorelsky), which sealed most of the documents including the original complaint.

Information found on The Sikh Coalition's website describes how the plaintiff alleges that he was the victim of constant bullying at his high school on the basis of his faith. Specifically, the Coalition describes an instance where the plaintiff was punched in the face by a student who also attempted to remove the plaintiff's turban. A teacher was apparently in the room when this occurred.

On March 17, 2010, the District Court (Senior Judge Frederic Block) dismissed the case based on a settlement reached between the two parties. The settlement resulted in injunctive relief where the school district agreed to: develop lesson plans to discuss bias generally and against Sikhs specifically; discuss the school system's legal obligation to stop discrimination with school staff and security; and designate an individual at the high school to whom bias and harassment can be reported. More information about the settlement can be found on the Sikh Coalition's website and in the bullying verdicts section of the website publicjustice.net.

Patrick Branson - 10/02/2014


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