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SMART, FLEET BANK REACH HISTORIC AGREEMENT TO ACCOMMODATE SIKH RELIGIOUS PRACTICES, PROVIDE IMPROVED SERVICES TO SIKH AMERICAN COMMUNITY
Sikh businessman, Fleet reach out-of-court settlement over discrimination charge
WASHINGTON, DC - Jan. 30, 2003 /Send2Press Newswire/ -- A leading national Sikh
advocacy group and the nation's seventh largest retail financial institution,
reached a broad-reaching agreement to ensure nondiscrimination against Sikh
American customers and employees and calls for the institution to closely
monitor discriminatory practices and improve services to the Sikh community.
Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force and FleetBoston Financial Corp., signed
the joint agreement as part of a discrimination lawsuit settlement filed by a
Sikh American customer. SMART, Inderjeet Singh Chowdhary, and Fleet Bank have
been in negotiations since May last year, when Chowdhary, a Carteret, N.J.,
businessman filed a lawsuit against Fleet after being denied a CD account.
Fleet Bank's settlement of Chowdhary's discrimination claim, which included an
undisclosed monetary compensation, coincided with an agreement with SMART.
In the agreement with SMART, Fleet said it "acknowledges that Sikhs are mandated
to wear religious articles of faith (including turbans and steel bracelets) and
are forbidden from shaving and cutting their hair," among other Sikh religious
practices.
Historically, it is the first time any US corporation has publicly stated it
will accommodate Sikhs as "full and equal employees and customers."
Highlights of the agreement:
- Fleet agrees to educate its employees about Sikh Americans.
- Fleet pledges to promptly investigate discrimination allegations by its customers or employees.
- Fleet agrees to develop personal, business and financial
solutions tailored to address needs of the New Jersey Sikh community.
- Fleet agrees to continue work with SMART to identify recipients of appropriate event sponsorship and funding programs designed to assist Sikh American charitable and community development organizations.
SMART will provide Fleet with informational material about the Sikh faith, Sikh
Americans and their religious practices to be incorporated in Fleet's employee
diversity training program. The Washington, DC-based advocacy group will also
provide training and education to Fleet employees.
"SMART is satisfied that Fleet has agreed to take these affirmative steps in
addressing the Sikh American community's concerns," said SMART's Executive
Director, Navtej S. Khalsa. "With this historic agreement as a blueprint, SMART
will seek to curb future discrimination of Sikhs by entering into similar
agreements with other corporations."
URL: www.sikhmediawatch.org
Source of news:
Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force
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