By Arun Kumar,IANS,
Washington : An Indian-American Sikh has won a six-year fight to be hired as a state correctional officer without having to shave off his beard as a condition of employment and $295,000 in damages.
Trilochan Singh Oberoi applied for a job with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 2005 and progressed through the hiring process until the final stages, when he was required to be fitted for a tight-fitting respirator mask, according to his lawyer.
Oberoi, who maintains a full beard mandated by his religion, was told he would have to shave the beard off to take the test.
The dispute led to a series of bureaucratic and legal fights that culminated earlier this month in a settlement agreement that will allow Oberoi to begin work Nov 1, his San Francisco attorney, Harmeet K. Dhillon, said in a news release.
The settlement also calls for the state to pay $295,000 to Oberoi and his attorney, Dhillon said.
Fighting the case has generated more than $500,000 in legal costs to Oberoi, most of which were donated, Dhillon said.