A Sikh man has sued a Texas judge who allegedly ordered him out of a courtroom for refusing to remove his turban while defending himself in a citation case.
WASHINGTON: A Sikh man has sued a Texas judge who allegedly ordered him out of a courtroom for refusing to remove his turban while defending himself in a traffic citation case.
In the lawsuit filed on his behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in the state district court in Dallas on Friday, Amardeep Singh charged Judge Albert Cercone with religious discrimination.
Singh was 'deeply humiliated' as he was forced to remove the turban which is an integral part of a Sikh's identity, ACLU's Legal Director Lisa Graybill said.
The incident happened in June 2006 when Singh, who was defending himself in a speeding case, was ordered out of Judge Cercone's courtroom and threatened with arrest on refusing to remove his turban.
Singh said that he tried to explain the judge that his faith requires wearing a turban but Cercone ordered him to leave the courtroom or face arrest under a 'no hats' policy.
"There is no question that Amardeep Singh's rights have been violated.... Judge Cercone not only denied Singh his basic rights to religious practice while defending himself in court, he caused him deep humiliation as well," Graybill said.
Singh said that when he arrived at the court, he was told by a court employee that he was in violation of the court's 'no hats' policy and that he must remove his 'hat.'
Though Singh tried to convince Judge Cercone that his turban was not an accessory but an important part of his faith, the latter said that if Singh did not leave the courtroom and stayed with his 'hat' on, he would be arrested.
After consulting his uncle, a Sikh priest, Singh removed his turban and tied his hair in a pony tail to return to the courtroom 'in a personally compromising and humiliating position,' according to the lawsuit.
"I could not believe that here in the United States, a judge whose job is to uphold the law would show such disrespect to my religion," Singh said.
"As a devout Sikh, my hair, beard, and turban have deep religious meaning to me. I treat this article of faith with utmost respect and pride. A turban is not an optional clothing item to put on and remove at will. Ordering me to remove my turban was extremely humiliating for me," he said.
Singh has also filed a complaint with the State Commission on Judicial Misconduct about the incident.
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