The Sikh Coalition partnered with the reputable Tennessee plaintiffs’ attorney, Douglas B. Janney III, to resolve Dr. Jaswinder Pal Singh’s case.
A Sikh doctor, who had filed a lawsuit against a medical organization for denying a job for his religious appearance, has settled the suit.
Sikh advocacy group Sikh Coalition announced that a resolution has been reached in the December 2016 employment discrimination lawsuit that was filed on behalf of Dr. Jaswinder Pal Singh.
Singh, an observant Sikh physician, keeps a religiously mandated turban and beard. He is a licensed and board-certified physician practicing neurology. The lawsuit alleged he was denied a neurology job after the employer and recruiter inquired into his religious appearance.
The suit further alleged that the employer Premier Medical Group and its recruiter Arthur Marshall Inc expressed interest and concern about the way Singh looked as part of the 204 hiring process.
Though the recruiter praised Singh’s credentials in phone interviews, 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.
The lawsuit sought to secure a court order requiring both defendants implement anti-discrimination policies, practices, and training to ensure that they do not discriminate against any future applicants.
“The employer, a Tennessee-based medical group, has agreed to work with the Sikh Coalition to improve its employment hiring policies so that all qualified job candidates, regardless of their faith or background, will receive fair and equal treatment,” a Sikh Coalition statement said.
The company has also agreed to strengthen its equal employment opportunity (EEO) policies and retain an EEO consultant to provide anti-discrimination training for staff responsible for recruiting, interviewing and hiring employees.
“I want to thank the Sikh Coalition for protecting my rights and working to ensure that religious appearance is never a factor in the job application process,” said Dr. Jaswinder Pal Singh.
The Sikh Coalition partnered with the reputable Tennessee plaintiffs’ attorney, Douglas B. Janney III, to resolve Dr. Singh’s case.
“Our legal team is here to protect your right to be Sikh, and we will always hold employers accountable,” said Sikh Coalition Legal Director, Amrith Kaur.