The four men refused to cut their hair for a pre-employment drug test.
AB Wire
Four Sikh truck drivers in California have been awarded $260,000 in damages from trucking giant J.B. Hunt after a seven-year federal investigation found that three men were denied work because they refused to cut their hair for pre-employment drug tests.
The national shipping company also reached a settlement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to change its employment practices, apart from paying the damages to the workers who complained of religious discrimination.
A fourth Sikh-origin driver claimed he lost his job offer because he declined to remove his turban when asked to provide a urine sample, reported the Los Angeles Times.
According to the case, all four requested other types of drug tests and told company representatives that they must keep their hair unshorn and wear turbans because of their faith. Headwear and jackets were not allowed to be worn when urine samples were taken.
“I am relieved by this resolution because no one should have to face humiliation because of their religious beliefs,” said Jagtar Singh Anandpuri, a trucker from Union City. “I have been driving a truck for years, and I know there is nothing about my faith that interferes with my ability to do my job.”
About 500,000 Sikhs live in the United States. Roughly half are in California.
The other truckers in the case are Lakhbir Singh, 50, of San Joaquin County and Palwinder Singh, 66, of Tracy. One driver requested that his name not be used. He has moved from the Modesto area to Indiana.
In addition to the $260,000 payment, the settlement requires J.B. Hunt to retrain its hiring personnel, change its practices to comply with federal anti-discrimination laws, allow the Sikhs to reapply for work, and submit progress reports to the EEOC during the next two years, reported the Times.
Although each had a good employment history, the drivers said J.B. Hunt rescinded their job offers after they requested that exceptions be made for their religion. Three were informed of the reversal at a company orientation in South Gate while the fourth was told over the telephone.
Lakhbir Singh told the Associated Press that the loss of the job hit him hard.
“It was one of the hardest times of my life,” Singh said through an interpreter of the incident five years ago. “My body went numb and I had tears in my eyes.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation, which regulates the commercial trucking industry, does not require testing of hair samples for employment. Other forms of drug testing are available, such as examining nail samples.
“Our clients repeatedly asked for alternatives within the drug testing regimes that would allow them to follow their religious tenets, and those requests were denied. Thankfully, J.B. Hunt has finally switched gears and moved into the right lane to comply with federal anti-discrimination law,” said Harsimran Kaur, legal director of the Sikh Coalition, a national civil rights organization.
While the payment for damages only alleviates some of the drivers’ wage losses, the coalition contends the settlement will positively affect other Sikhs who might face religious discrimination in the workplace, reported the Times.
AP reported as part of the settlement, J.B. Hunt conditionally offered the four men jobs, the EEOC said. The men are not seeking employment with the company, The Sikh Coalition said.