Sikh Group Wants Governor To Veto Oregon Workplace Religious Freedom Act

Yesterday the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund wrote Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, asking him to veto the Oregon Workplace Religious Freedom Act (SB 786) which was passed by the state legislature several weeks ago. (Full text of letter.) The bill generally requires employers to reasonably accommodate employees' religious practices and observances. SALDEF's concern, however, is the provision in the bill that still allows public and charter schools to prohibit teachers from wearing religious dress while engaged in the performance of duties as a teacher. This presumably would allow school districts to ban Sikh teachers from wearing their religiously-mandated dastaars (turbans). (SALDEF release.) The letter urges the governor to "veto SB 786, as proposed, and ask the Oregon legislature to approve a version of the bill that honestly and comprehensively protects religious freedom in the workplace."