First-generation Sikh American Rouble Paul Claire sued Sutter County in Sacramento, CA claiming that the officers of the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office have failed to properly investigate racial slurs and violence he experienced a year ago.
The press release issued by The Sikh Coalition said the county’s district attorney’s office “refused to act” after the local sheriff’s office recommended charges, American Kahani reported. The Sikh Coalition is representing Claire.
The lawsuit also alleges that the Sutter County’s Sheriff’s office violated Claire’s civil rights laws as they failed to fairly investigate his case “based upon Mr. Claire’s race, ethnicity, and/or status as a hate crime victim,” according to Religion News.
The lawsuit claims center around two incidents that happened in May 2021, where Claire was accosted by a woman in his neighborhood. At the South Butte Market, a local grocery store, Claire said the woman shouted and cursed at him, calling him a “f*cking Hindu” or threatening to “ram” him with her car, the Indian Panorama reported. He also said the woman got into her car and sped toward him and swerved away at the last moment. With the help of an employee at the store, Claire called 911.
Religion News reports that later that day, another woman allegedly connected to the assailant wrote “Sand N****r” on the sidewalk and his driveway with chalk, according to the lawsuit.
Rouble Paul Claire sued Sutter County in Sacramento, claiming that the officers of the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office have failed to properly investigate racial slurs and violence he experienced a year ago.
Claire said in the press release that no one has been held accountable for the harassment he has experienced, American Kahani reports.
“For months after immediately reporting these hateful acts, I sat in silence waiting for action that never came,” he wrote. “I did not want to have to take legal action against anyone, but I believe that this failure of justice is unacceptable: No one in our community should have to face this kind of hate and bigotry.”
The Sikh Coalition asked the Sutter County District Attorney’s Office to bring appropriate charges such as criminal threats, assault, or assault with a deadly weapon to the woman who initially threatened Claire, American Kahani reports.
Amrith Kaur Aakre, the legal director from Sikh Coalition, said in a statement that “hateful interactions can lead to violent results,” according to Religion News.
“No one deserves to feel threatened in their own community, and law enforcement — both police and prosecutors — simply must do better,” Aakre said.
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our new Instagram account. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story, or making a contribution.