A Step-By-Step Guide for Sikh Parents
1. DETERMINE IF YOUR CHILD IS BEING BULLIED
The best way to understand what your child is going through is simply to talk to them. One way to start a conversation is to ask your child if any students are bullied at their school.
Remember that children may not immediately want to disclose that they are being bullied because they are afraid of backlash from the bully, they worry that adults will judge or punish them for being weak, or they feel that no one will care when they do speak up.
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2. NOTIFY THE SCHOOL
If you determine your child is being bullied, notify the school as soon as possible via a formal letter.
The letter should be addressed to the principal; their contact information can be found by searching “[School Name] Principal.” To deliver the letter to the school, you can choose to either email it to the principal or hand in a physical copy at the school’s front desk. Don’t forget to keep a copy for your own records.
It is important to document everything, including:
- Names and/or information about the student or staff bullying your child;
- Descriptions of the bullying behavior;
- How long the bullying has been going on and/or how many instances of bullying have occurred;
- Where the bullying is taking place; and
- Any prior reports or complaints already made to the school about the bullying incidents.
Remember that you have the legal right to receive school notices and other information in a language that you can understand; in your letter, you may request notices from the school in Punjabi.
During this phase, you may wish to share resources about Sikhi with your child’s school. The Sikh Coalition has many such resources available for free online.
3. CONTACT THE SIKH COALITION
If the school is not responsive and/or the bullying of your child persists, contact the Sikh Coalition for further assistance in English or Punjabi. Both you and your child should be prepared to speak to our team of attorneys.
Please note that contacting the Sikh Coalition is just a first step, and that we will not take legal action without your consent. There are many steps between contacting the Sikh Coalition and filing a lawsuit.
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FURTHER STEPS: SIKH COALITION ACTION
Each bullying case is different. These are some of the actions that the Sikh Coalition may take to help ensure action is taken to keep your child safe:
- We can reach out to the school to elevate your letter. Sometimes, outside attention is all a school needs to take parental concerns more seriously. And when the school responds, our legal team can support communications with officials to work out a solution.
- We may assist you in filing a formal complaint with the school district. If the school is still not responsive or not cooperative, going to the district level may be the next step if you wish to escalate further.
- We can also assist in filing a complaint with the Department of Justice or Department of Education. This is another step that can apply more pressure to the school or school district if needed.
- If we reach an impasse with the school district, the Sikh Coalition can assist you in filing a lawsuit. This is a serious step not undertaken lightly, but it can be necessary to ensure accountability and safety for your child. The Sikh Coalition will usually partner with a local law office for this step.
- In particularly severe cases, we can discuss the process around criminal charges where appropriate. This is most often applicable only in cases of especially violent and vicious bullying.
- We can send additional resources about Sikhi to the school at any point during this process. We continue to believe that education is the best tool against ignorance. Often times, as part of resolving a bullying case, we provide more classroom materials, Sikh awareness presentations, and/or teacher and administrator trainings on bias-based bullying.