Suit Charges Car Dealership With Employment Discrimination Against Sikh

A lawsuit filed in a New Jersey state court yesterday alleges that a Little Falls (NJ) Lexus dealership refused to hire plaintiff, a Sikh, because he was not willing to shave his religiously-mandated beard. The refusal came after plaintiff completed a two-day training course for potential sales employees. The complaint (full text) in Kherha v. Tri-County Lexus, (NJ Super. Ct., filed 2/25/2010), alleges that the dealership engaged in religious discrimination and that its refusal to accommodate plaintiff's religious practice violates the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJSA Sec. 10:5-1 et. seq.). A press release today from the Sikh Coalition announced the filing of the lawsuit.