Recommendations

Based on the findings of the study, the Sikh Coalition proposes the following recommendations for federal and state officials, state and local education officials, and school administrators and educators.

1. Prioritize initiatives, legislation, and policies that better support protection from bias-based bullying for Sikh students.

White House and Federal Agencies

Develop clear guidance and resources for public schools and federally-funded education institutions to accommodate religious garb and articles of faith, including the Sikh turban, in extracurricular activities or events sponsored by public funding.
In addition to providing guidance to public schools and federally-funded education institutions on compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, guidance and training related to Title IV—including its requirement of addressing religious bullying—must also be bolstered in light of pervasive and systemic bullying that religious minorities such as Sikhs face in schools.
Re-establish a White House interagency Bullying Prevention Task Force with representative community stakeholder organizations.

Congress

Support the Safe Schools Improvement Act (S. 3105 / H.R. 6031) to require school districts in states that receive Elementary and Secondary Education Act funds to adopt codes of conduct specifically prohibiting bullying and harassment, including on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, and religion. This legislation would also require that states report data on bullying and harassment to the Department of Education (DOE) to better address bullying.
Support initiatives and funding for educator and administrator professional development so that community organizations can raise cultural awareness for teachers, teachers in training, and their school districts. This should include opposing the Stop CRT Act of 2023 (H.R. 1229 / S. 558) or other similar bills that would impose vague limits on classroom discussions of our nation’s deeply rooted challenges with racism.
Conduct hearings to better understand any gaps in policy on emerging forms of harassment that may affect students, such as harassment via AI-generated content and doxxing.

State Legislatures

Support legislation which would create culturally inclusive K-12 social studies curricula, and advocate to include Sikhi in state social studies standards and their associated materials where applicable. Such legislation should include funding for curriculum development and professional development training for educators.
State legislatures must acknowledge and address the concerning trend of book bans across the country, as these prohibitions hinder access to diverse literature essential for students to foster a better understanding of their own identities and acceptance of varied perspectives. To uphold academic freedom and promote inclusivity in education, legislators are urged to enact laws to combat bias-motivated book bans and ensure a fair and collaborative process for reviewing books proposed for removal. Such legislation should ensure that decisions regarding book bans are made transparently and without bias, discrimination, or the suppression of diverse voices. By opposing efforts to ban books depicting diverse voices, state legislatures can foster environments characterized by tolerance, respect, and intellectual enrichment within schools.
Support legislation which meets the dietary needs of broad religious communities, including Sikh students. Sikh students, and students from diverse religious backgrounds, should have access to meals that align with their religious beliefs. Legislation should also ensure broad inclusion of non-Halal and non-Kosher meal options for Amritdhari Sikhs, many of whom typically abstain from consuming Halal and Kosher meat.

State and Local Education Agencies

Advocate for the development and implementation of clear and inclusive religious accommodation policies at the state and school district levels, explicitly recognizing the right of Sikh students to maintain religious articles of faith, such as the kirpan and dastaar, within the school premises.

Administrators and Educators

Update student codes of conduct, bullying and harassment policies, and educational material around bullying to better represent bias-based bullying and microaggressions as key components of the wider bullying problem.
Train all student-facing school staff on recognizing and addressing school bullying, bias-based bullying, microaggressions, and harassment.
Include cyberbullying as a prohibited activity within the school’s or school district’s student handbook.
Update policies to navigate bullying cases with the additional necessary step of providing cultural and language competent support as needed (e.g. if English is not the primary language of the parents of a bullied student).
Implement bullying assessment and prevention measures and policies during early school years rather than waiting until middle or high school to do so.
Involve students and parents directly in bullying prevention efforts to better understand student experiences, especially as it relates to interactions with peers as well as staff.

2. Provide additional resources and support to educators, so they can make classrooms and classroom materials more inclusive and better prioritize student safety and wellbeing.

White House and Federal Agencies

Provide guidance and resources for the DOE’s regional Offices of Civil Rights in jurisdictions that are creating hostile learning environments and diminishing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Continue including priorities focused on educator diversity in DOE grant programs.
Establish a federal recognition program to honor educators and administrators who are leading the way in creating safe schools and inclusive learning environments.
Instruct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide Punjabi language access to the Sikh community by accurately and comprehensively translating StopBullying.gov.
Under HHS’ 2023 Language Access Plan and Executive Order 14091, ensure that all printable resources are translated and disseminated in partnership with community organizations to better serve the Sikh community.

Congress

Support initiatives and funding to recruit diverse applicants for educator and administration positions, and the adoption of hiring practices that take a holistic view of applicants’ diverse life experiences.

State Legislatures

Propose the establishment of cultural curriculum review committees, advisory boards, or commissions within the or in collaboration with departments of education at the state level—including Sikh community representatives, educators, and experts—to assess and improve the representation of Sikh history and religious practices within social studies and religious studies frameworks and other state-approved educational materials.
Recognize Sikh Heritage/Awareness Month and/or designate important celebrations like Vaisakhi as a holiday at the state level, promoting events and activities that celebrate Sikh culture and history within the broader educational community.
Support the funding and creation of professional development programs and classroom materials for educators, providing them with the necessary tools and knowledge to teach about the Sikh community in the United States and address cultural sensitivity in the classroom.

State and Local Education Agencies

Ensure the state’s body that develops content standards and curriculum frameworks include teaching about Sikhi and Sikh history into its social studies areas of study.
Advocate for the comprehensive inclusion of Sikh history in the United States in state curricula, recognizing and emphasizing Sikhs’ significant contributions to American society beginning from the early years of K-12 education.
Encourage the adoption and promotion of diverse literature, textbooks, and educational resources that accurately represent Sikh history, culture, and contributions to foster a more inclusive educational environment.
Actively engage with the Sikh community and relevant organizations for input on curriculum development, ensuring an authentic representation and understanding of Sikhs’ experiences.
Advocate for the development and availability of multilingual educational resources to accommodate diverse linguistic backgrounds within the Sikh community, including reporting mechanisms for instances of anti-Sikh bullying and harassment in Punjabi.

Administrators and Educators

Include Sikh awareness training for staff and teachers to ensure understanding of the articles of faith and practices of Sikh students and parents.
Share lesson plans, books, and videos on Sikhs with students in the classroom.
Collaborate with families and community members (e.g. Khalsa school staff, gurdwara representatives) to strengthen partnerships among schools, families, and the Sikh community at large.

3. Prioritize accurate, timely, and mandatory data collection

White House and Federal Agencies

Support accurate data collection on bullying and harassment on the basis of religion with adequate training, technical assistance, and guidance from DOE.
Supplement this data through other collection mechanisms, such as the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Congress

Support the Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act (S. 3736 / H.R. 7250), which would require the collection and disaggregation of educator and principal data to help address educator and administrator shortages and diversity gaps.

Administrators and Educators

Collect school-specific data on school bullying and harassment in order to understand where, when, and how students experience bullying and harassment (by peers and staff), as well as ascertain whether adults respond to reported incidents.
Systematically track bullying incidents, including when a Sikh student reports it may be due to their Sikh identity, and utilize data-based decision making to analyze needs and examine outcomes.

4. Allocate resources to better support the mental health needs of Sikh students.

White House and Federal Agencies

Ensure that initiatives by DOE and HHS to improve student mental health provide for cultural competency training for mental health professionals so that they can meet the needs of diverse student populations.

Congress

Support the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act (S. 3214 / H.R. 6202), which attempts to reduce police presence in schools, and increase the availability of school counselors, social workers, and other behavioral health personnel.
Ensure that any legislation that provides for student access to mental health professionals includes provisions that require those mental health professionals to receive cultural competency training to meet the needs of diverse student populations.

Administrators and Educators

Strive to create a safe environment for students of diverse backgrounds in schools and classrooms.
Implement frameworks, such as culturally responsive multi-tiered systems of support, to improve school climate and create safe school environments for Sikh students, as well as all students and staff.
Incorporate information about Sikh students into tiered preventative supports and interventions (e.g. universal behavior and social emotional lessons).
Ensure that mental health resources are available in schools and that students have access to mental health support as needed.
Offer mental health resources to students who have faced bullying and microaggressions to address concerns in a timely manner.