July 22, 2009 (Washington, DC) – The State of Oregon recently enacted a law called the Oregon Workplace Religious Freedom Act (WRFA). Although this should have generated fanfare among religious minorities, for whom there is insufficient protection under federal employment discrimination laws, Oregon”s WRFA has, in fact, generated enormous protest among Sikh Americans and a diverse coalition of religious groups and civil libertarians throughout the nation.
What is the problem?
The problem is that Oregon”s WRFA does not apply to public school teachers who wear religious clothing in private adherence to faith. Although Oregon”s WRFA undoubtedly expands workplace religious freedom for most Oregonians, the public school exemption was designed to preserve an archaic law—enacted with the support of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s—which forbids public school teachers from wearing any form of religious clothing. In effect, observant Sikhs, Muslims, Jews—and others who wear religious clothing in private adherence to faith—are shut out of the teaching profession in Oregon. With the possible exception of Pennsylvania, no other state in the country restricts public school teachers in this manner.
When did the Ku Klux Klan come into the picture?
Oregon’s teacher garb law was enacted nearly a century ago by sympathizers of the Ku Klux Klan for the purpose of suppressing Catholics. According to The Oregon Bluebook, an official publication of the State of Oregon about its own history:
| “The Ku Klux Klan enjoyed a warm reception from many Oregon communities in the 1920s as Catholics and minorities suffered both blatant and subtle bigotry. The Klan, FOPS, and Scottish Rite Masons sponsored a bill, passed in 1922 in the general election, to compel all children to attend public schools. The overtly anti-Catholic measure threatened to close all parochial schools and military academies … The legislature also passed a law forbidding wearing of sectarian clothing, namely priestly vestments or nuns” habits, in classrooms.” |
What is SALDEF’s position on this issue?
The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) rejects Oregon’s antiquated and immoral teacher garb law and demands an immediate repeal.
What can I do to help?
LEARN ABOUT THE ISSUE
Sikhs protest school exemption in Oregon religious freedom bill (The Oregonian)
Law denying teachers religious freedom is repugnant and should be repealed (Mail Tribune Editorial)
Oregon law is too strict on teachers” religious garb (The Oregonian Editorial)
Does religious clothing have a place in the classroom (KATU TV – Portland)
(Dave Ross Show – KIRO 97.3 FM)
Oregon’s Fashion Police (Washington Post)
SPREAD THE WORD
Most people do not know that the Oregon teacher garb statute was enacted in the 1920s by the Ku Klux Klan for the purpose of suppressing Catholics. Please distribute this advisory to your friends and family and also to your local Gurdwara and visit the SALDEF website for updates. Because this issue affects all Americans, please reach out to your friends in the interfaith community and spread the word about what is happening in Oregon.
TAKE ACTION
If you live in Oregon, please contact your state representative and ask them whether they can commit to moving beyond the 1920s and repealing Oregon”s teacher garb statute during the next legislative session. The Oregon garb statute is a sad and repugnant legacy of the Ku Klux Klan and deserves to be given a final burial by all Americans.
Please distribute this to family, friends, and at your local Gurdwara