Sikh Woman Sues After Go Kart Facility Cuts Her Hair To Free Her In Accident

Courthouse News reported Tuesday on a suit filed recently in Chicago's Cook County (IL) Circuit Court by a Sikh woman who is distressed that the operators of a Go Kart track insisted on cutting her hair to free her after her hair was sucked into the engine of the Go Kart she was driving. Friends with Holly Hanjra at the time insisted that the staff of  Melrose Grand Prix call 911 rather than cut Hanjra's hair, because of its religious significance. The suit seeks damages for assault and battery; emotional distress; willful, wanton and negligent misconduct; and negligent hiring, retention and supervision.

Obama Sends Greetings To Sikhs Celebrating Birthday of First Sikh Guru

Yesterday, President Obama issued a statement (full text) extending best wishes to Sikhs in the United States and around the world as they celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Sikh Guru.  The statement says in part:

This sacred time is an occasion to reflect on Guru Nanak’s timeless teachings and the principles that are at the heart of Sikhism, including the equality of all human beings, the pluralism we cherish in diverse societies and the compassion we owe one another.  

5th Circuit Remands Sikh's RFRA Challenge To Ban On Kirpan In Federal Building

In Tagore v. United States, (5th Cir., Nov. 13, 2013), the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a Title VII religious discrimination claim by a Sikh employee of the Internal Revenue Service who lost her job after she insisted on wearing her kirpan into her federal office building. Federal law (18 USC Sec. 930) prohibits weapons with blades over 2.5 inches long in federal building. The court said that: "An employer need not accommodate an employee’s religious practice by violating other laws."

However the court remanded for reconsideration of plaintiff's RFRA claim in light of a Policy Directive issued by the Federal Protective Service after the case concluded in the district court. (See prior posting.) That Directive permits granting of exemptions in federal buildings for Sikh articles of faith, and thus possibly undercuts the government's argument regarding the need for uniform application of the weapons ban.  The appeals court also held that, contrary to the district court's conclusion, plaintiff had created a genuine issue of material fact as to her sincere religious belief in wearing a 3-inch bladed kirpan.  [Thanks to Blog From the Capital for the lead.]