Close X
Friday, November 29, 2024
ADVT 
International

Sikh Doctor Jaswinder Pal Singh Of Kentucky Files Religious Discrimination Lawsuit

Darpan News Desk IANS, 28 Dec, 2016 02:09 AM
    A Sikh doctor in the US has filed a lawsuit against an American medical organisation alleging he was denied a neurology job for his religious appearance.
     
    Jaswinder Pal Singh of Kentucky is a licensed and board certified physician practising in the area of neurology.
     
    Sikh advocacy group, The Sikh Coalition, filed the lawsuit yesterday in the US District Court for the Middle district of Tennessee on behalf of Mr Singh.
     
    The lawsuit alleges that Mr Singh, an observant Sikh physician who keeps a religiously mandated turban and beard, was denied a neurology job after the employer and recruiter inquired into his religious appearance.
     
    As part of the 2014 hiring process, the employer Premier Medical Group and its recruiter Arthur Marshall Inc expressed interest and concern about the way Mr Singh looked, the suit further alleges.
     
    Though the recruiter praised Mr Singh's credentials in phone interviews, Mr Singh was allegedly abruptly denied further interviews after he submitted photographs of himself, along with additional information on Sikhs and Sikhism. The job then remained vacant, it said.
     
    "It was very clear to me that I was denied employment because of my ethnic background and religious appearance," Mr Singh said in a statement released by the coalition.
     
    "No Sikh in any job or profession should ever be denied employment because of their religion. By speaking out and taking action, I know that we will continue to hold employers directly accountable," said Singh, who migrated to the US from India in 2008.
     

    According to the lawsuit, around September 2014, an individual from the recruiter firm indicated that the Premier Medical Group had reservations about Singh's candidacy and wanted information about his appearance, specifically "how you appear" and "what you look like".
     
    Mr Singh explained that he is a Sikh and maintains unshorn hair including a beard and wears a turban in accordance with his faith to which the individual allegedly replied that he did not know who Sikhs were.
     
    "Defendants failed and refused to hire (Mr Singh) for the available neurologist position at Premier Medical Group because of his race (South Asian/Punjabi), colour, religion (Sikh) and/or national origin (Indian)," the lawsuit alleges.
     
    The lawsuit seeks to secure a court order requiring that both defendants implement anti-discrimination policies, practices and training to ensure that they do not discriminate against any future applicants.
     
    In 2015, the coalition had represented Singh in filing a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
     
    After the EEOC issued a right to sue notice, the rights group filed the anti-discrimination lawsuit.
     
    Last month, the coalition announced a massive legal victory on behalf of four Sikh truck drivers who were denied jobs by one of the largest trucking companies in the US.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Canadians Woman Sent Home For Trying To Sneak Cat Into New Zealand

    Canadians Woman Sent Home For Trying To Sneak Cat Into New Zealand
    A Canadian woman who authorities say managed to hide her 4-year-old pet cat Bella in her handbag during a trans-Pacific flight had her vacation cut short when border agents discovered the ruse at a New Zealand airport.

    Canadians Woman Sent Home For Trying To Sneak Cat Into New Zealand

    Shahid Afridi Sad About Detention Of His Fan In India

    Shahid Afridi said that cricket should be kept away from politics. The former Pakistan captain also said he would appeal to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into the matter.

    Shahid Afridi Sad About Detention Of His Fan In India

    India-Born Rajat Gupta Disagrees With US Court's Insider Trading Ruling

    India-born former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta is not giving up his legal battle to overturn his conviction, arguing that he served two years in jail for conduct that is not criminal.

    India-Born Rajat Gupta Disagrees With US Court's Insider Trading Ruling

    Toronto Man Sentenced To 10 Years In U.S. Prison For Role In Drug Trafficking Op

    Toronto Man Sentenced To 10 Years In U.S. Prison For Role In Drug Trafficking Op
    Nguyen and a Canadian co-conspirator, Gurshuran Singh, recruited couriers to drive the drugs to Salem, Mass., where another man — Joshua Rabinovitch — then sold the drugs and returned the proceeds to Canada.

    Toronto Man Sentenced To 10 Years In U.S. Prison For Role In Drug Trafficking Op

    YouTube Star Adam Saleh Says Kicked Off Delta Flight For Speaking Arabic

    YouTube Star Adam Saleh Says Kicked Off Delta Flight For Speaking Arabic
    A Yemeni-American YouTube star from New York, Adam Saleh, called for a boycott of Delta Airlines after charging he was removed from one of its flights on Wednesday for speaking Arabic.

    YouTube Star Adam Saleh Says Kicked Off Delta Flight For Speaking Arabic

    Navjot Singh Sidhu Meets Rahul Gandhi, Hours After BJP's Big Win In Chandigarh

    Navjot Singh Sidhu Meets Rahul Gandhi, Hours After BJP's Big Win In Chandigarh
    Navjot Singh Sidhu, whose quest for a new political party has reportedly led him to the Congress, today met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi for talks that lasted 45 minutes. 

    Navjot Singh Sidhu Meets Rahul Gandhi, Hours After BJP's Big Win In Chandigarh